President Goodluck Jonathan Sunday said he was prepared “to pay any price” to ensure that things work well in the country.

He also said would do everything possible to implement all his ongoing reforms in the critical sectors of the country.

The presidential assurance was contained in the goodwill message he sent to the opening ceremony of their second plenary session of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the Mater Dei Cathedral, Umuahia.

Presidential Jonathan’s message, which was delivered by the minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, was full of assurances that everything was on course to pull the nation out of the present malaise.

It was also a vague warning to anti-reform elements as the President insisted that there was no going back on the privatisation of the power sector, adding that “the transformation agenda has reached the point where everybody would be proud that reform has taken place.”

Jonathan, who said he was delighted to have been invited by CBCN to come and “share with them thoughts and vision that guide our nation in the search for development,” said his administration was putting in place superstructures upon which Nigeria would attain greater heights.

He said he was not unmindful of the enormous problems facing the nation, noting that he has been confronting the challenges headlong, citing the youth employment programmes to keep the youths out of crime, the ongoing power sector reforms as well as efforts to tackle the infrastructure deficit across the nation.

Recalling the security challenges facing Nigeria and the rest of world today, Mr. President concluded that “human society today is far from attaining the City of God status as propounded by St Augustine of Hippo.

But he called on the Catholic Bishops to continue in their prayers so that the nation can overcome the critical challenges threatening the peaceful co-existence of citizens, adding that his administration was on its own committed to the building of an egalitarian society.

“This administration will always stand for the truth, peace and justice,” the President said. He quoted some passages from the Holy Bible as he urged Nigerians to learn to love one another and live in harmony in the pluralistic society.

Earlier in his address, the president of CBCN and Catholic
Bishop of Jos Diocese, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, called for a lasting solution to the senseless killings of Christians and other innocent citizens in the northern parts of the country, saying that patience was being overstretched.

“The patience of Christians, especially in the North has been tried and tested for too long now. We ask that the reckless attacks on them and other innocent Nigerians be brought to a halt, through the proper use of security intelligence/expertise available to government and security agencies both within and beyond Nigeria,” he said.

He lamented the ease with which people acquire dangerous weapons due largely to the country’s porous borders hence the bomb explosions and gun attacks that have remained unabated.

“The explosive devices have become like toys used at will and local and sophisticated arms escape our sea ports, land borders and find their way into the hands of criminals and hoodlums; it is a cause of very great concern,” the CBCN President said.
According to him, the apparently unchecked flow of arms and ammunition and the attendant killings have made “most Nigerians wonder whether we are on top of the situation as usually claimed” by government and security agencies.

However, Bishop Kaigama assured that the Catholic Bishops and the faithful were committed to a united and peaceful Nigeria despite the blood lettings of Christians and would continue to pray for the men of violence to change their ways and learn to love.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/

Thats the spirit.

My dear president. We believe you, despite the amount of critics,we believe God is with you. He will surely make u Moses of our time. Continue in your work, forget the "hear-says" we support you to make NIGERIA work.

It’s all good, let’s hope he walks the talk.

How about putting ur brain into work to find a way to get rid of these animals called boko haram and when i say get rid i don't mean negotiating and opening a ministry of boko haram to cater for them.
Do that plus deliver on some of ur promises and ofcourse there is this issue of corruption too.
Am sure most have not forgotten about otedola vs farouk and their likes, bring them to justice and we are good.

Even if you like commit your life to it just make sure Naija is better.

statesmanship i tell yah.

but "the others" will sensationalize the whole thing

mr. president, you just said the direct oposite of what you mean.
your wife has a case of money laudary as the wife of the gov of bayelsa state.
you keep telling nigerians about cabals.
you said u know the sponsors of boko haram.
oga, stop talking and start acting pls.

1025: mr. president, you just said the direct oposite of what you mean.
your wife has a case of money laudary as the wife of the gov of bayelsa state.
you keep telling nigerians about cabals.
you said u know the sponsors of boko haram.
oga, stop talking and start acting pls.

Dino Melaye....ololololo

More than 24 months, and Billions of dollars later, nothing but more stories and soundbytes? Kai!!!

I believe you mr President. Nigeria will work under you. The signs are so visible.
Everything is just happening so fast.

You have improved power through your reforms and we hope to consolidate further following the successful completion of the privatisation process.
The hypocrisy of your critics were exposed on the front page of THISDAY Friday 7 th 2012. They come in public to accuse you of being clueless but go behind to bid for the same power plants that you have refurbished for privatisation.

You keep remodeling our airports and have done 11 of them with additional new 11 slated for construction.
You are rehabilitating our railways and have awarded the construction of phase 2 of Lagos-Kano.
Abandoned road projects like BENINI-Ore, Abuja-Lokoja, Kano-Maidugri, Onitsha -Enugu have been re awarded under SURE P.

You just commissioned a new port in Onitsha and sanitized the old ports in Lagos.
You have set up 9 new universities and launched the Almajiri school projects.
You are carrying out groundbreaking reforms in the energy sector, exposing and prosecuting corrupt oil thieves, and set to revolutionaries the entire oil industry with PIB