Nation Will Overcome Security, Development Challenges - Jonathan

Abuja — President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday assured Nigerians that the daunting security and development challenges would be overcome with unwavering faith in God.
Jonathan said this at the second Presidential National Prayer Breakfast held at the Banquet hall of the Presidential Villa."Daunting as these challenges may appear, I trust in the efficacy of the Bible truth that the prayers of the righteous avail much."I am confident that Nigeria will emerge from this trying time a stronger, more united, more stable and more prosperous nation."
Jonathan said that Nigerians must live above the primordial diversity tendencies which could only compromise the growth of the nation.
He advised that the people should be guided by the ideal of "justice, equity, selflessness and the fear of God" in all their public or private conduct.
The President enjoined Nigerians to also imbibe the spirit of selfless sacrifice as exemplified by Jesus Christ on the cross."Nigeria can and would only attain the lofty height which God endowed it through natural and human resources, if the citizens are prepared to make sacrifices."
Jonathan warned against the promotion of narrow sectional agenda, saying that this would not add value to national development.
According to him, the prayer breakfast is significant, coming at a period of serious security and religious challenges in the country.
In a sermon titled "The Power of an Altar", the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said that the gathering was a call to "National Altar" to offer prayers for Nigeria to overcome its challenges.
"Nigeria is a great nation endowed with talents but lacking in knowledge; a rich nation with citizens suffering from lack and want,"Oritsejafor, said, likening the present situation of the country to that of the Biblical Israelite, when there was no rain for three years.
Oritsejafor said that Prophet Isaiah offered prayers on an altar to God and there was rain in abundance.
He expressed confidence that the time was ripe for the country to overcome its challenges.
Earlier, the Chaplain of the Villa Chapel, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba, recalled that the inaugural breakfast was held following the constitutional crisis after the death of former President Umaru Yar'Adua.
He said that the prayers were held for the purpose of divine guidance and preservation of the country.
Onwuzurumba said that the event had been enlarged by bringing in all stakeholders from the Federal and State governments.
He said that the objectives of the second edition were to pray for peace in the country and for the nation to overcome the post-2011 elections' crisis, which had assumed the new dimension of attacks on innocent citizens and the destruction of property.