50% of us are into politics because we have no options – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that over 50 per cent of politicians in the country were not supposed to take part in active politics.

According to him, most of them are in politics today because they have no particular jobs to do.

The president stated this in a short message he delivered during the first Sunday service of the year, held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Jonathan who likened politics to professions such as nursing and teaching, that should ordinarily not accommodate wicked people, however, regretted that the nation’s political podium was dominated by unqualified politicians.

He said, “Politics is just like some kind of trade. More than 50 per cent of us, who are into politics, are not supposed to be politicians.

“For example, in the professions of nursing and teaching, people with wicked hearts and unforgiving spirits are not the kind of people who should be nurses or teachers, but we find them there.

“So, most of us who are in politics are not supposed to be there, but because we have no other thing to do.”

While faulting an earlier statement made by his Chaplain, Venerable Obioma Onwuzurumba, during the Bible Study that politicians don’t forgive, Jonathan described any unforgiving politician as an impostor.

“The chaplain accused us politicians that we do not forgive, or that some politicians don’t forgive. Apparently, the Bible said this, that politicians are the people who forgive.

“Politicians, I would not say much, are those who forgive because in politics whether local politics or national, the driving force is that you don’t have permanent friends or permanent enemies but permanent interest.

“If somebody is your enemy today and there is a change of interest and he becomes your friend; first of all you have to forgive. Otherwise, you cannot have a friend that you cannot work with,” the President said.

Earlier in his sermon entitled, “Forget not all His benefits,” the Anglican primate had likened Nigeria to an individual on a pilgrimage to a particular destination.

He said when the journey becomes tough, Jonathan, as the leader of the pilgrimage, should not give up but remain focused.

He said, “Life is a pilgrimage. Every individual is on a pilgrimage. Even Nigeria is on pilgrimage to an appointed destination in Africa and the world. God cannot make a mistake of creating a large number of people and place them in a place called Nigeria without a purpose. There is a purpose for Nigeria.

“Qualities that will make Nigeria succeed in its pilgrimage include patience. Nigerians sometimes can be impatient. The task of nation building calls for patience.” He added.