Why I didnt sack Service Chiefs...Jonathan

Goodluck Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan on thursday disclosed that he resisted pressure to sack the service chiefs because he did not want to compromise political stability.

Jonathan who gave the reason  Ibadan , said he refused to bow to pressure to sack the service chiefs because the political interests of the nation was at stake.

“I remember when I was made Acting President, so many people advised that I remove the service chiefs because they feared, they would remove me the next day. I told them that look, we are still hoping that Nigeria will stabilise politically. “The first thing is for the democratic system to stabilize and if I remove the service chiefs as Acting President, which I could have done by mere pronouncement, and all of them would have left, but I said if I had removed them, my conscience would begin to prick me.

I would not be comfortable that as a nation we have not stabilized but let me leave them even at the expense of my own position and if by God's grace we succeed, Nigerians will say, at least politically, we have stabilized.” Jonathan congratulated the military particularly for the role they played in stabilizing democracy in the country, especially during the turbulent period of the nation's transition.

“I have to thank the military because even with the turbulence today we can say to a reasonable level we have stabilized politically. One thing we achieved by the grace of God was political stability. Under the turmoil we passed through in the last three years, the polity has stabilized. When I took over from my boss and swore in a vice president was an indication that the polity had stabilized.

“The next thing was for those of us who are politicians to conduct ourselves in a way that we could trust ourselves and the public would trust us. One of those areas that people will use to test us is the relationship between politicians themselves,” he charged.

Prelate of the Methodist Church, Archbishiop Ola Makinde who took the sermon urged President Jonathan to fulfill his pledge to Nigerians to conduct a free and fair election in 2011. The cleric who took his message from Psalm 103: 1-8 challenged the President to stabilize power supply in the country stressing that without “electricity, no meaningful development can take place.”

Makinde who said the elevation of President Jonathan was divinely ordained urged him to continue to walk in the ways of God like King David in the discharge of his duties. The cleric also urged the celebrant Alao-Akala to also maintain a closer relationship with God so that he can continue to enjoy the blessings of God.

“A leader that is accessible is a good leader. Serve humanity in governance and let the people of Oyo State say that once upon a time you served in Oyo State as governor,” Makinde said.

At the reception, Jonathan praised the foresight of the governor in executing road projects in the state stressing that it would open up more business opportunities for indigenes of the state. The President said efforts were being made to refund state governments who engage in the rehabilitation of federal roads adding that the committee set up to look into the case would harmonise the strategies for the execution of such projects and the modalities for payments.