How we averted bomb attacks at Christmas – Jonathan

ABUJA—President Goodluck Jonathan, Sunday, said but for the effective role of the security agencies, the Boko Haram sect would have carried out deadly bombings during the Christmas celebration.

The president spoke on Sunday at the church service of “Ekklisiyar Yaruwa a Nigeria”, EYN, (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), Utako, Abuja.

According to the President,   his administration is working round the clock to address the challenges of insecurity in the country.

“The Boko Haram planned to carry out a lot of attacks on Christmas day, but we suppressed their plans; the extent of their plans was not executed   because of the strategies put in place by the security agencies to abort their plans.

“Although, we still recorded some incidences, the extent of attacks which they planned was not allowed to be executed.

“Boko Haram will not push us backwards. If their plan is to stop government from providing dividends of democracy, they would not succeed because 2013 will be a good year for Nigerians and Nigeria.

“With your persistent prayer we shall defeat them,” he said.

He said government had put measures in place to contain the menace of insecurity posed by the sect.

He said government was doing everything possible to ensure that the activities of the sect did not push the nation backward and the strategic security plans put in place were already yielding positive results.

The President noted that Christianity and Islam are religions of peace and tolerance which forbid killings and blood-letting.

He said it was strange how terrorism and suicide bombings which were never parts of the culture of any section of the country had crept in.

The President specifically thanked the authorities and members of the EYN nationwide for keeping the faith and remaining calm even in the face of provocation.

In his sermon, the Pastor of the Church, Rev. Daniel Mbaya  disclosed that about 50 of their churches had been burnt and 109 of their members killed in the Northern region of the country by the  sect.

The clergy said that EYN, which was predominantly in the North- Eastern region was the worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgence.

While thanking the President for coming to worship with them, he noted that  Jonathan was the first sitting President to worship in any branch of the church nationwide since its inception.

In a sermon titled, “Working with God” with Bible text taken from the Book of Genesis Chapter 5 verse 22 to 24, the clergy dwelled on the benefits of putting God first in all human endeavour.

According to him, any mortal being who work with God by obeying his laws and instructions would have peace, everlasting joy and eternal rest.