At farewell service: Jonathan begs for forgiveness; wife speaks on health challenges

PRESENTATION—From left: President Goodluck Jonathan with the First Lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan receiving a souvenir from the Chaplain Aso Villa Chapel, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba
 and his Wife, Mrs. Martha Onwuzurumba during the Special Thanksgiving Church Service for the
First family, at Aso Villa Chapel, State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida.

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, pleaded with Nigerians to forgive him and members of of his administration of anything he might have done wrong during the period that he piloted the affairs of the country.

He made the plea at a special thanksgiving service organised by the Aso Villa Chapel to bid him and his immediate family farewell after losing the March 28 presidential election to the candidate of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari. He said that no man is born perfect. His wife, Patience, who spoke in a similar vein disclosed that she was in and out of a German hospital for undisclosed ailment during the electioneering campaigns and how she was miraculously healed after her husband lost the presidential elecion.

According to President Jonathan, he may have done things in particular ways that may have offended some people but pleaded that such actions were not deliberate.

His words: “No system is perfect. Every human system must have an element of imperfection. For the past eight years, we have been here because, my transition from Vice President to President was gradual and complicated.

“When the President (late President Umaru Yar’Adua) had a major health challenge, I ran the affairs of the country for sometime. That was even before the doctrine of necessity made me acting president. Then I took over at first and conducted the 2011 election which I won and I had to run my full four years as an elected president. So, for the eight years that one has been here, definitely one is not perfect.

“We have certainly done things we probably shouldn’t, but we didn’t do those things deliberately. So for those who we have offended, it was not deliberate, it was circumstances of the office. We also plead that those people should forgive. We think we have done our best.

“You can do your best and your friends may misunderstand you. Today we are talking about leaving. It is only God that knows why things go the way they do”, the president said.

Also speaking at the service, the First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan commended Nigerians for the support they gave to her husband in the last eight years.

She said their elevation to the present position was the work of God.

“I never thought in my life that I will be first lady. I never dreamt of being wife of a deputy governor because my husband was not a politician. But God made it possible and God lifted us up from deputy governor and here we are”, the First Lady noted.

She later revealed that an ailment she was suffering from that would have required a major operation disappeared after her husband lost the March 28 presidential election.

My Health challenges —First LADY

Her words: “Just two years ago, I went through operations upon operations. Within one month, I passed through 12 operations. It is wonderful. Some people said I was dead but God resurrected me.

“During the campaign period, the devil struck again. In pains, I was rushed to a hospital in Germany and the doctors said I had to undergo a major operation.

“I said, again? The electioneering campaign was still going on and I wondered how we were going to explain it to Nigerians. You know, even when you go for a check-up, they will be writing all sorts of things in the papers.

“I said I and my family have to handle this. My husband will continue with his campaign until the last day. That was how I went in for the first major operation in January.

“And by God’s grace I went for the operation and came out. It was from that operation that I went to the campaign ground. Then they said I had to go for another major operation in a bigger hospital. I told them I would go. I said I have faith in God and my God will see me through. He has brought me out for a purpose. I called my pastor to continue praying for me.

“I said again, they wanted me to be a sacrifice, but I will never be. I went to the bigger hospital. I booked for the operation and I was asked to go for the campaign. They gave me a new date.

“I had paid for everything and what remained was for me to enter the theatre. Then something happened. The doctors said, let’s check her again. By then, my husband had lost the election. I had started packing out of the Villa.

“Behold! I went to four hospitals again and the thing vanished. My doctors were surprised. They never thought that could happen.”

The First Lady then urged the president’s supporters to take what has happened as an act of God.

“We should be grateful to God for what he has done. To our followers, today it might not be too good but I want them to be grateful to God because you have followed us for a long time. You know this position is not a life-long thing.

“There is no permanent thing. I want you to take it in good faith. That it is the will of God and you should be praising God. God is really wonderful.”

Meanwhile Vice President-elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was absent at the occasion. He was invited by President Jonathan to officially take over the Aso Villa chapel which is the worship place for christians in the presidential Villa.

Chaplain of the Aso Chapel, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba told reporters that although the Vice President elect was invited to the event, he could not attend.

Present at the event were former Minister of Information Professor Jerry Gana; former Governor ofBayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and some cabinet members.