. Jonathan, Former President
Former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the nation as he charged them to be purposeful in playing their own role towards making the country great.
The former President stated this in a goodwill message to Nigerians as the nation marks 60th Independence Day on Thursday.
He noted that the journey of Nigeria has been that of mixed fortunes, adding that it requires the commitment of all citizens to build a strong and prosperous nation.
He said: “Like many other great nations, our journey has been that of mixed fortunes. Our nation has been through periods of progress and times of setbacks. We have experienced eras of strength, unity and faith as well as seasons of weakness, trials and despair. Despite these challenges, we have remained as one, and nurtured our democracy to 21 unbroken years.
“I therefore urge us to make investments that will shore up the democratic gains and work towards building strong and virile institutions. We need to harness the greatness that lies within our diversity and the strength of our population, to recreate and build the Nigeria we desire. We must de-emphasize our fault lines and concentrate on the silver lining within our lands.
“Every great nation is built on the patriotic sacrifices of its citizens. We should show love, unity and understanding in times of trials and never lose hope in the presence of despair. This is the spirit that is required to build our nation, to enable us live in the land of our collective dreams.”
Dr. Jonathan also paid tribute to those patriots who had paid the supreme price towards advancing the course of our nationhood, stressing that they will continue to be Nigeria’s heroes.
