President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday declared that if the bomb blasts in Kaduna which were apparently targeted at former Head of State and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), and Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, had killed the duo, the country would have been in turmoil.

Speaking in the same vein, but at a different occasion, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Buhari’s running mate in the 2011 presidential election, affirmed that the nation was saved a major crisis with Buhari’s escape from the bomb blast.
Condemning the attacks in strong terms, the president said those who planned it are sons of devil.

He said he was grateful to Allah for saving their lives and preventing a major calamity that would have befallen the country.
Jonathan spoke at the Presidential Villa, when his deputy, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, led other Muslims resident in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including the minister, Bala Mohammed, to pay Eid-el-Fitri Sallah homage to him.

“In the recent attacks in Kaduna, especially where ‎Sheik Dahiru Bauchi was a target and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari was also a target, you can imagine if these two people had died in those attacks. Sheik Bauchi is one of our top Islamic preachers; he has millions of followers; Buhari former Head of State, a leading political figure, has massive supporters.

“On the same day people wanted to kill them, those who plan the attacks are clearly sons of the devil. Because if they had killed these two people, we wouldn't have been here today. This country would have been in turmoil; we couldn't have gathered here to celebrate,” Jonathan added.

The president said he was honoured to have them after the holy month, and prayed to God to listen and answer all their prayers, adding: “These days, all we hear are stories of conflicts and deaths; we pray God to hear our prayers. The fasting period is time to reflect, and time to be our neighbour's keepers -- the time of breaking fast.”
Jonathan urged clerics to focus on messages of peace and unity during their preaching to their adherents and desist from spreading the gospel of hate, especially during the sallah festival.

According to him, without peace and unity, developing as a nation will be a mirage.
“In a conflict situation, people move away from such zones and we cannot develop our communities, our local governments, states and our country in a conflict situation.

“Not too long ago, we had these dastardly attacks in Kano and Kaduna.
“We stand to condemn these acts of terror on our people. And we extend our condolence and sympathy to the bereaved and those who might have been injured.

He called on all Nigerians to work with government “to see that collectively we bring to an end the excesses of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups”.

The president said his administration is doing everything humanly possible to end terrorism in the country.

“Government at the same time is looking at how to raise funds. In fact, we are launching the fund Thursday, so that the widows, orphans, those whose business premises have been vandalised and even our worship places, mosques and churches that have been destroyed, will be rebuilt.

“Government alone cannot do it because we will need huge sums of money with the Nigerian private sector vibrant and willing if they see sincerity in government. We have demonstrated that very clearly and we are hopeful that on that day, reasonable amount of money will be raised.

“And we will continue to raise money until we are able to cushion the effect of these excesses and at the same time we are strengthening our security services so that they will be able to confront this menace,” Jonathan stressed .

While speaking to his boss, Sambo thanked him for accepting to have audience “with us as we celebrate the end of the Ramadan fast”.
The vice-president commended his principal for fasting alongside the Muslims during the Ramadan fast.

He prayed God to continue to give the president wisdom and guidance to rule, for peace and pray for all the evil including Boko Haram to come to an end.

Sambo, who also admonished Nigerians to be their brother's keepers, beseeched God to provide tranquillity in the country and for total reconciliation and stability.
Minister of the FCT, Mohammed, paid homage on behalf of Abuja residents.

“We have always enjoyed humane and civil disposition; that is why you see Muslims and Christians coming to pay homage in line with your exemplary leadership,” the minister said.

On his part, Bakare called for the urgent need to bring to book all the people involved in the mismanagement of the funds meant for equipping the military in the past years and to deploy adequate resources to stop the Boko Haram insurgency, which he tagged “blood-thirsty lunatics”.
Bakare, in a statement titled: “We Need a Strong and Well-Coordinated Approach”, delivered at his Latter Rain Church service yesterday, said what could have resulted in crisis in Nigeria was averted when Buhari escaped the assassination attempt on his life via the twin bomb blasts in Kaduna State that claimed about 80 lives.

“This past week might have marked the beginning of the end for our nation for, if the attack targeted at General Muhamadu Buhari and his entourage on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014 had succeeded the hatchers of the Nigerian disintegration agenda would have been smiling home to the bank by now.
“The enormous goodwill and massive following enjoyed by the General among the tens of millions of disadvantaged Northern youths for whom he has become a messianic symbol, would have transmogrified into the unguided and uncontrollable fury of a vengeful army whose target would not be without political and ethnic colouration.

“Invariably, this would have sparked up a corresponding reaction of violence from an equally militant antagonistic young population from across the Niger. One need not be a political analyst to see that such a scenario might have culminated in the demise of our nation,” he said.

He suggested that government should declare peace by apologising for the murder of Mohammed Yusuf, the leader of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, allegedly killed by the police in 2009; right political wrongs; and create an atmosphere of political inclusion rather than exclusion, update and strengthen military capability, create jobs and enhance welfare to discourage recruits and to also engage the support of the international community.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/jonathan-nigeria-would-have-been-in-turmoil-if-buhari-bauchi-were-killed-in-bomb-blasts/184751/

so the other thousands who have died are expendable?

theplanmaker: so the other thousands who have died are expendable?

Not expendable. Just not so important as to tip National security

Yea...the other people that are dead are expendable
This is what to expect in a country that takes only the elites into consideration and disregards the masses.

OP, kindly modify the topic correctly so as to make FP

see mumu comment...
presido jonathan lack proper use of words.is d country nt in turmoil already?
others dt died in d process are not important?
so they shld continue playin kite wit ley-man's life ryt?instead of providin immediate solution.
no amt of prayer can mak dis man to av clue on anyfin.

All is well.

Olami90: see mumu comment...
presido jonathan lack proper use of words.is d country nt in turmoil already?
others dt died in d process are not important?
so they shld continue playin kite wit ley-man's life ryt?instead of providin immediate solution.
no amt of prayer can mak dis man to av clue on anyfin.

All is well.

All is indeed well.
at the same time, please note that the president dey try.
Osama was not caught and killed in a year