Speaking at a thanks giving and farewell service in his honour at the Cathedral Church of the Advent Life-Camp, Gwarinpa, Abuja, President Jonathan cited the case of the former South African Apartheid leader, FW De Clerk whose wife divorced him for taking the decision to end the minority rule in the Republic of South Africa.
President Jonathan who expressed appreciation to Nigeria and Nigerians for giving him the opportunity to serve at various capacities reiterated his willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice in the interest of the Nation.
He said: “I believe there are reasons for everything. Some hard decisions have their own cost, no doubt about that. That I have ran the government this way that stabilized certain things, the electoral process and other things that brought stability into this country. They were very costly decisions which I myself must be ready to pay for.
“Some people come to me and say this or that person is he not your friend that benefited? Is it not your government that this person benefited from? But this is what the person is saying. But I used to say worse statements will come. If you take certain decisions, you should know that those close to you will even abandon you at some point. And I tell them that more of my so-called friends will disappear. When FW De Clerk took the decision to abolish minority rule in RSA, even his wife divorced him. I hope my wife will not divorce me. But that is the only decision that has made RSA to still remain a global player by this time. If we still had that minority rule there, by this time, nobody will be talking about RSA.
“If you take certain decisions, it might be good for the generality of the people but it might affect people differently. So for ministers and aides who served with me, I sympathize with them, they will be persecuted. And they must be ready for that persecution” he said.
