{"id":62377,"date":"2018-05-29T19:03:39","date_gmt":"2018-05-29T18:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=62377"},"modified":"2018-05-29T19:03:39","modified_gmt":"2018-05-29T18:03:39","slug":"democracy-day-jonathan-prays-for-peace-praises-nigerian-youths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/democracy-day-jonathan-prays-for-peace-praises-nigerian-youths\/","title":{"rendered":"Democracy Day: Jonathan prays for peace,\u00a0 praises Nigerian youths"},"content":{"rendered":"
On the occasion of\u00a0 this year’s Democracy Day,\u00a0 former President<\/div>\n
Goodluck Jonathan has rolled out the drums to celebrate Nigerian<\/div>\n
youths, describing them as great achievers who are holding their heads<\/div>\n
high and greatly proving themselves globally.<\/div>\n
The former President also prayed for peace urging Nigerians to always<\/div>\n
strive to ensure that “our national motto: Unity and Faith, Peace and<\/div>\n
Progress, is a reality and not just mere rhetoric.”<\/div>\n
In a statement by Mr.\u00a0 Ikechukwu Eze,\u00a0 the former President’s media<\/div>\n
adviser,\u00a0 Jonathan noted that Nigerian youths are high achievers\u00a0 who<\/div>\n
are making the country proud,\u00a0 adding that all they need are the<\/div>\n
opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities.<\/div>\n
He further urged leaders to support the youths rather than discourage<\/div>\n
them,\u00a0 saying: “Rather than discourage them with our words and<\/div>\n
actions, we as leaders must give our youths hope by using our language<\/div>\n
to draw out the very best in them. We must accept that nations only<\/div>\n
grow when elders plant trees whose shade they know they may never<\/div>\n
personally enjoy. Leaders must think of the next generation and not<\/div>\n
just the next election.”<\/div>\n
Below is the text of Jonathan’s Democracy Day statement:<\/div>\n
“On this Democracy Day 2018, I want to urge all Nigerians to pray for<\/div>\n
peace in Nigeria. We need peace in Nigeria. And it is up to you and I<\/div>\n
to ensure that our National Motto: Unity and Faith, Peace and<\/div>\n
Progress, is a reality and not just mere rhetoric. I urge Nigerians to<\/div>\n
understand and accept that nobody\u2019s political, economic, religious or<\/div>\n
social ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.<\/div>\n
“As this year\u2019s Democracy Day falls on the holy month of Ramadan, let<\/div>\n
me seize the opportunity to also extend Ramadan greetings to the<\/div>\n
Muslim Ummah. As you pray for Nigeria, I join my faith with yours and<\/div>\n
look forward to our prayers being answered by Almighty God.<\/div>\n
“There are many opportunities and crises on the horizon, but we must<\/div>\n
have the mentality of seeing the opportunity in crisis rather than the<\/div>\n
crisis in opportunity.<\/div>\n
“We have one of the fastest growing youth population in the world and<\/div>\n
we must see this as an opportunity, not a crisis.<\/div>\n
“What our youth need are opportunities to showcase their positive<\/div>\n
talents. They need leaders who believe in them and show affirmation<\/div>\n
for them through their words and actions.<\/div>\n
Democracy is a game of numbers and the youths have the numbers. More<\/div>\n
than 50% of our population are youths. If we develop policies,<\/div>\n
programs and projects to empower the youth of Nigeria, the Nigerian<\/div>\n
youth, who single handedly created Nollywood, the third largest movie<\/div>\n
industry in the world, can be expected to return the favour and make<\/div>\n
Nigeria proud.<\/div>\n
“And they are already making us proud both locally and<\/div>\n
internationally. Nigerian youths are showcasing their brilliance<\/div>\n
around the world and I want to make special mention of Ukoma Michael,<\/div>\n
who at thirteen years of age invented a battery operated fan that<\/div>\n
lasts for 19 hours on a full charge. This ingenuity domiciled in<\/div>\n
Michael should be encouraged by our leadership.<\/div>\n
“Internationally, Princess Elizabeth Bright and Ramota Tele Lawal, two<\/div>\n
22 year old Nigerian youths who in May of 2018 became the youngest<\/div>\n
elected councillors in the United Kingdom, have made us proud. Very<\/div>\n
proud indeed.<\/div>\n
“These youths are the epitome of the hardworking, talented, innovative<\/div>\n
and ambitious Nigerian youth who make our nation respected in the<\/div>\n
community of nations and give us hope for tomorrow and national pride<\/div>\n
for today.<\/div>\n
“Rather than discourage them with our words and actions, we as leaders<\/div>\n
must give our youths hope by using our language to draw out the very<\/div>\n
best in them. We must accept that nations only grow when elders plant<\/div>\n
trees whose shade they know they may never personally enjoy. Leaders<\/div>\n
must think of the next generation and not just the next election.<\/div>\n
While we celebrate Ukoma, Elizabeth and Ramota, I know that there are<\/div>\n
perhaps millions in Nigeria who are equally brilliant and only need<\/div>\n
the right enabling environment to unleash their creative genius. They<\/div>\n
are my inspiration on this Democracy Day. They are the reason why I<\/div>\n
believe in the continued corporate existence of this great nation<\/div>\n
founded on justice, equity and freedom.<\/div>\n
“Happy Democracy Day. God bless you and your family and may God bless<\/div>\n
Nigeria. GEJ.”<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On the occasion of\u00a0 this year’s Democracy Day,\u00a0 former President Goodluck Jonathan has rolled out the drums to celebrate Nigerian youths, describing them as great achievers who are holding their…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nDemocracy Day: Jonathan prays for peace,\u00a0 praises Nigerian youths - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/democracy-day-jonathan-prays-for-peace-praises-nigerian-youths\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Democracy Day: Jonathan prays for peace,\u00a0 praises Nigerian youths - 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