Patience Jonathan: Stop abusing my husband

First Lady Patience Jonathan has asked Nigerians to stop abusing her husband whom she said was ordained by God to rule the country.

Abusing President Goodluck Jonathan is “bad”, she said.

She was addressing children at an event she organised to mark the 2014 Children’s Day at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Quoting from the Bible, she said God’s instruction to mankind to honour their parents was not limited to biological parents alone.

She said: “It is bad to abuse our country and the president because God has made him the head. The Almighty God commands us to pray for our leaders. We therefore need to pray for the development of our country and the president.

“Remember that a child that abuses his father and mother is disobeying God’s commandment because the Bible says in Exodus 20:12 that you should honour your father and mother so that you may live long in the land that the Lord your God has given you.

“The Holy Bible is not referring to only biological parents. Any one that is older than you even for a day must be respected. Let us therefore join hands and rebuild our country Nigeria.”

She said the federal government was doing all within its powers to secure the release of the over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram.

While calling on Nigerians to be united against terrorism, she advised that Nigerians should encourage soldiers at the warfront.

“It is the right of every child to go to school. It is only through education that you can achieve your dreams and contribute meaningfully to your community and the nation.

“We desire peace in our community and in our nation. I want you all to be ambassadors of peace in your schools and practise good manners. We have no other country than Nigeria.

“We therefore need to be patriotic and committed to our dear country. We should strengthen our covenant with our country as outlined in the National Pledge.

“Let us therefore be united in fighting terrorism. We should encourage our soldiers who are in the frontline to rescue our beloved daughters,” she said.

At the event, some children wrote letters addressed to Boko Haram asking for the kidnapped girls to be released.

They handed over the letter to her.

She said she would hand over the letters to the national security adviser or the chief of defence staff “since I don’t know members of the sect”.

“Let me thank the children that gave me letter to give Boko Haram. Well, I have received your letter, but I am not the one to give it to Boko Haram because I don’t know Boko Haram and I have never seen Boko Haram. But I will give it to the NSA or chief of defence staff who will submit your letter accordingly,” she said.