“My mother had nine of us but seven died as infants” – President Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan, Wednesday, in Abuja said he was the only surviving son out of the nine children delivered by his mother. He said all his other siblings except his sister died as infants.

He reportedly made this revelation at the United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities meeting currently holding in Abuja, Nigeria.

According to Jonathan: "My mother had nine of us but seven died as infants with myself and my sister surviving… I'm alive today by God's hand.

"My late siblings would have by now grown up to become very beautiful women and handsome men."

He explained that his dedication to arresting infant mortality comes from being the lone male survivor of his mother's nine children.

The president explained the key objectives of the initiative saying, "We have initiated the Saving One Million Lives Programme with the objective of saving one million lives by 2015 through equitable and concrete utilization of quality cost-effective basic health services.

"The programme clearly identified the needs for concrete access and the appropriate use of medical devices and commodities that can save lives.

He said the Federal Government would spend $33.44m in the next four years for the procurement of additional reproductive health commodities, representing a 300 per cent domestic funding increase.

He added that $500m would be set aside over the next four years for maternal, new born and child health intervention under the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme.

President Jonathan co-chairs the Commission along with Jens Stoltenberg, the Prime Minister of Norway.