I have been In A Cage For 16 Years – Jonathan

aking a look at the 16 years spent in public service, Nigeria’s President, Goodluck Jonathan, says his life in the period is like living “in a cage”.

While receiving some residents of the Federal Capital Territory led by the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, who paid him an Easter homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Sunday, President Jonathan said he considered himself “one of the luckiest Nigerians”.

“For me as an individual, this Easter coincides with the time I am leaving, but I always say that I am one of the luckiest Nigerians. I have yet to see somebody luckier than me.

“I have been in government for 16 years beginning from 1999. Not in government as a parliamentarian because if you are a Senator or House of Representatives member, you take care of yourself, you live in your own house.

“I was in a cage, being taken care of by the government. From May 29, 1999 to date; 16 good years. I think it is enough and I am happy,” President Jonathan said.

He asked Nigerians to join him in showing gratitude to God: “Please help me to thank God for that. I will continue to thank Nigerians for giving me that privilege. I became a deputy governor because Bayelsans voted for me and my governor then. I became a Vice-President because Nigerians voted for Yar’Adua and myself.

“I continued in 2011 because Nigerians voted for me and Namadi Sambo. I have to thank all Nigerians. Wherever I will be, I will remain grateful to this great country. Today is a glorious day for me,” President Jonathan said.

Make Sacrifices

He further urged Nigerians to be ready to make sacrifices for the survival of the government at every given time.

According to him, he had, right from the time he was a deputy governor, stressed the need for Nigerians to be patriotic and not just loyal.

President Jonathan made reference to soldiers and policemen, whom he said were dying daily in the fight against the Boko Haram in order for others to live, describing it as true patriotism.

“So, as a people, as a government, what I believe we should always ask is: ‘What sacrifice are we making?’

“Now, it is not about supporting Jonathan or his government. Now, Buhari is coming on board; it is not about supporting Buhari or his government but the sacrifice we are willing to make for government and for the nation?

“If you are a businessman and you say you are supporting government but you don’t pay tax, how then do you expect that government to survive?

“While in Bayelsa State as a deputy governor, people used to come to me to say ‘I’m loyal;’ but I always tell them to say that they are patriotic to the country.

“To me, whenever I travel out of the country and see things work, I tell myself that those things didn’t fall down like manna; people made sacrifices. Therefore, people in Nigeria must also be ready to make sacrifice.

“Whoever becomes President is immaterial so long as the citizens are happy: our children go to school, the sick go to good hospital and of course, the economy is working. But for them to take place, people must make the required sacrifices.

“In the ECOWAS sub-region for example, Nigeria has the lowest rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) which is five per cent. Other countries in the region pay up to 12 per cent,” President Jonathan said.

He urged Nigerians to be ready to accept any increase in the VAT, should the administration of the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, decide to increase it from five to 10 per cent.

“Will Nigerians support him? That is sacrifice and we must make sacrifice,” he stressed.