President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday, March 20, 2015 revealed that his calm demeanor ahead of the forthcoming Presidential election was occasioned by the fact that he was willing, not desperate to serve the country.
President Jonathan made the remark in Abuja at the launching of a four-part Rev. Fr. Charles Imokhai-authored biography of the president. titled “The People’s Choice.”
The event, which was chaired by former Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, also saw President Jonathan speak on his passion for education.
In Mr. President’s words:
“[My message] to politicians is that for all of us who want to serve, we should be ready to serve but we should not be desperate to serve our people.
“Sometimes, people ask me that Mr. President, from what we read and what we see, we see you still smiling and unruffled.
“Yes, nothing will really ruffle me because I am willing and ready to serve but I am not desperate to serve. That is what keeps me going.
“All of us who want to hold offices from the least, a counsellor of a ward or a chairman of a council, a member of the state house of assembly or member of house of representatives, senate, governor or the president, if all of us are always ready and willing to serve our people but we are not desperate in our mission, then of course Nigeria will be a better place for all of us.”
On his love for education, President Jonathan said: “My dream is that one day, a product of almajiri school will stand here as a president of this country.
“That is why I have been very passionate about education and I tell people that I grew up from a very poor background. But luckily Nigeria does not operate a caste system. If I was to be an Indian, I probably wouldn’t even dream of being a commissioner in my state.
“This is because in a caste society some people permanently belong to a lower class but Nigeria is an open society, so you can move from the lowest level to the top. But for you to do that one key thing is education and that is why I lay so much emphasis on education.
“That was why when I came here, I decided that every state must have a federal university.”
