He told the congregation at the Redeemed Christian Church, Central Parish, Abuja ’s thanksgiving service that the current situation in the country occasioned by the absence in the country of President Umaru Yar’Adua on health ground had thrown up worrisome dimension to governance which God had responded to.
He said the reactions to some of the issues raised had been such that anyone would think that the ship of state would sink any moment, pointing out that God, however, in His infinite mercy had continued to deliver the country and the people from chaos and anarchy.
“Of course you know our president has been out of the country for about 39 days today (yesterday) on health ground and those of you who bother to read the papers, sometimes you feel as if the whole country is sinking. People call me and wonder if I even sleep after reading the stories in the papers,” he further pointed out.
Urging continued prayers for the country, Vice President Jonathan assured that God was able to see the country through as He had done in the past, no matter the challenges, while thanking the people for their continued faith in the country and their prayers for the president’s recovery and for the government.
He recalled a similar situation in the past when God, following the people’s intercessory prayers, had had to intervene to save the country from turbulence, adding “because the Christians pray, no matter the turbulence, no matter the challenges we have, God will see us through.”
“No matter the challenges we have, with your prayers surely this country will stabilize. When the dawn is coming the night gets darker,” he stated, pointing out that God had a reason for allowing the country to go through the current experience which was “to tell us that he is in charge and that nobody, no human being is in charge.”
On the controversy trailing the legal powers of who swears in a new Chief Justice of Nigeria, the vice president hinted that the situation before the swearing in of Justice Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu as the new chief justice really unsettled him as he was not sure of what would happen in the event of leaving one arm of government without a leader.
According to him, he was worried that allowing a vacuum in the leadership of the judicial arm of government was an open invitation to chaos in the country and so he tried the only option he thought could avert the looming crisis by considering the extension of the tenure of the retiring chief justice before the matter was resolved.
“We have lot of challenges. Look at what happened during the swearing in of the Chief Justice of the Federation. Before then when we were confronted with that situation, few days to December 31st, the Thursday the Chief Justice of Nigeria was supposed to retire, we were worried.
“As a vice president, based on our laws, I do not have any powers to swear in the Chief Justice of Nigeria. It is a ceremonial responsibility and ceremonial functions are sometimes more serious than the real work we do. I do not have the powers to swear in the Chief Justice of the Federation.
“I was worried that if we get to that Thursday and the Chief Justice of Nigeria is not sworn in, that means one arm of government has no leader and that would have been an invitation to chaos. As at that time even the lawyers around because the tradition has been there for 51 years where Mr. President swears in the Chief Justice, no Nigerian or even senior lawyers cared to look at the other aspects of the law.
“In fact, I even had to approach the former Chief Justice, that look I have the powers to extend your period of stay in the office. Since I cannot swear in a new Chief Justice, can’t I extend your stay in office so that there will be no vacuum, but he said it was not possible because the Constitution says at the age of 70 he must go.
“But he promised he was going to re-examine the laws. I got back to my office I was terribly worried within that period. Few days to the time (expiration of the tenure of the former CJN), the Attorney General came and showed me the Act that says either the President or the Chief Justice of the federation can swear in the new Chief Justice of the federation.
That law was there but nobody saw it.
“So what I am saying is that as a nation, as individuals we might have challenges. Sometimes when we have major challenges, it helps us to look more into our lives, look more into whatever there is. Even as Christians, there are times we think when things are going well, we think it’s because of your ability, your intelligence, your background, because of whatever.
“You don’t know it’s the grace of God that those things are happening to you. Sometimes it is good to have challenges even as individuals. Even in sickness, I believe God wants to tell us that He is the only person who is keeping us alive, that whatever we are, it is by His grace”, Vice President Jonathan added.
In his sermon entitled, “2010: Multiple Grace of God”, Pastor Elijah Olukayode Daramola whose message centred on grace identified seven key roles which grace plays in the life of Christians and urged Christians to shun unrighteousness soas to enjoy the sufficient grace which God has provided in the year 2010.
The vice president was accompanied to the service by his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, his mother, the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Babatunde Omotoba and his wife, former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chibudom Nwuche and a host of top government functionaries and aides.
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