With about 10 days to the official hand over of trhe presidential mantle, President Goodluck Jonathan has apologized to Nigerians who in one way or the other got offended during their administration, explaining that they were unintentional.
He made the plea on Sunday, May 17, 2015 during a farewell service organised for him at the Aso Villa Chapel in Abuja.
According to Punch, the president pointed out that there were times one would take a decision in the best interest of all but friends and associates might not understand why.
He said, “Nothing is perfect; if you wait for perfection, you cannot achieve anything. No system is perfect. Every human system has an element of imperfection.
“So, for the eight years that I have been here as Vice-President, acting President and President, I can say that no one is perfect.
“We have done certain things that probably we shouldn’t have done, but we didn’t do them deliberately.
“So, for those that we offended, it was not deliberate; it was as a result of the exigencies of the office.
“We plead that such people should forgive us; I think we have done our best. You may do your own best and your friends and associates may misunderstand you.”
He further expressed immense gratitude to God and all the people who supported his administration.
President Jonathan added, “I believe some of you may even come closer and even do more meaningful things together when we leave office.
“The office is quite challenging; some of you may desire to see us but I believe that as we move forward, things will get better.
“I don’t believe that it is only in government that one can do things; outside it (government), you can do a lot.
“The richest people in the world don’t even serve in government. (Aliko) Dangote has never been in government, yet he is doing so much.
“Bill Gates too has never been in government, yet he is the richest man in the world. So outside government, a lot of things happen; It is for us to be committed and be focused.”
However, the official hand over of the Chapel to Vice President-elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, was not done as he was absent at the ceremony.
The president said, “We actually invited the President-elect for the handing over of the chapel but for one reason or the other, he was absent.
“But he was represented in the service by a regional pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The handover will be done later.”
It was gathered that the chapel committee and the children presented gifts to the president, his wife, Patience Jonathan, and his mother, Eunice Jonathan.
The President’s Chaplain, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba, in a short message titled, “To God be the Glory” thanked God for keeping the Jonathan family safe throughout their stay in the Presidential Villa.
