On September 18, 2010, President Goodluck Ebele Azikwe Jonathan, at about 3:32pm, gave a speech to declare his candidacy for the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ahead of the 2011 general elections.
DailyPost recalls that in the speech, Mr. Jonathan who extolled the virtues of his predecessor, late Umaru Musa Yar’adua, expressed his readiness to lead the nation, while assuring the people that he possesses “vast potentials” needed “for the transformation of our country.”
However, the section that many Nigerians took profound interest reads as follows: “I was not born rich, and in my youth, I never imagined that I would be where I am today…In my early days in school, I had no shoes, no school bags. I carried my books in my hands but never despaired; no car to take me to school but never despaired.”
Perhaps the Nigerian leader misses those days when he walked around bare-footed, as he was some days ago sighted without footwear. Only that on this occasion, he was sited on a fine couch in an air-conditioned room at someplace in faraway Washington DC.
The president, who is pictured, with other senior government officials and aides, was in that country alongside other African heads of government for the 2014 US-Africa Leaders’ Summit (August 4-6) on the invitation of President Barack Obama.
The Summit theme, ‘Investing in the Next Generation’ reflected the common ambition that the people and government of the United States share with the people and governments of Africa.
It also harped on leaving member-nations better for future generations by making concrete gains in peace and security, good governance, and economic development.
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