5/29/2015 ReadPresidentBuharisInauguralSpeechPoliticsNigeria

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InauguralspeechbyHisExcellency,PresidentMuhammaduBuharifollowinghisswearinginasPresidentoftheFederalRepublicofNigeriaon29thMay,2015

IamimmenselygratefultoGodWhoHaspreservedustowitnessthisdayandthisoccasion.TodaymarksatriumphforNigeriaandanoccasiontocelebrateherfreedomandcherishherdemocracy.Nigerianshaveshowntheircommitmenttodemocracyandaredeterminedtoentrenchitsculture.Ourjourneyhasnotbeeneasybutthankstothedeterminationofourpeopleandstrongsupportfromfriendsabroadwehavetodayatrulydemocraticallyelectedgovernmentinplace.

IwouldliketothankPresidentGoodluckJonathanforhisdisplayofstatesmanshipinsettingaprecedentforusthathasnowmadeourpeopleproudtobeNigerianswherevertheyare.Withthesupportandcooperationhehasgiventothetransitionprocess,hehasmadeitpossibleforustoshowtheworldthatdespitetheperceivedtensioninthelandwecanbeaunitedpeoplecapableofdoingwhatisrightforournation.TogetherwecooperatedtosurprisetheworldthathadcometoexpectonlytheworstfromNigeria.IhopethisactofgraciouslyacceptingdefeatbytheoutgoingPresidentwillbecomethestandardofpoliticalconductinthecountry.

Iwouldliketothankthemillionsofoursupporterswhobelievedinusevenwhenthecauseseemedhopeless.Isalutetheirresolveinwaitinglonghoursinrainandhotsunshinetoregisterandcasttheirvotesandstayallnightifnecessarytoprotectandensuretheirvotescountandwerecounted.Ithankthosewhotirelesslycarriedthecampaignonthesocialmedia.Atthesametime,Ithankourothercountrymenandwomenwhodidnotvoteforusbutcontributedtomakeourdemocraticculturetrulycompetitive,stronganddefinitive.

Ithankallofyou.

HavingjustafewminutesagoswornontheHolyBook,IintendtokeepmyoathandserveasPresidenttoallNigerians.

IbelongtoeverybodyandIbelongtonobody.

AfewpeoplehaveprivatelyvoicedfearsthatoncomingbacktoofficeIshallgoafterthem.Thesefearsaregroundless.Therewillbenopayingoffoldscores.Thepastisprologue.

OurneighboursintheSubregionandourAfricanbrethenenshouldrestassuredthatNigeriaunderouradministrationwillbereadytoplayanyleadershiprolethatAfricaexpectsofit.HereIwouldliketothankthegovernmentsandpeopleofCameroon,ChadandNigerforcommittingtheirarmedforcestofightBokoHaraminNigeria.

Ialsowishtoassurethewiderinternationalcommunityofourreadinesstocooperateandhelptocombatthreatsofcrossborderterrorism,seapiracy,refugeesandboatpeople,financialcrime,cybercrime,climatechange,thespreadofcommunicablediseasesandotherchallengesofthe21stcentury.

5/29/2015 ReadPresidentBuharisInauguralSpeechPoliticsNigeria

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Athomewefaceenormouschallenges.Insecurity,pervasivecorruption,thehithertounendingandseeminglyimpossiblefuelandpowershortagesaretheimmediateconcerns.Wearegoingtotacklethemheadon.Nigerianswillnotregretthattheyhaveentrustednationalresponsibilitytous.Wemustnotsuccumbtohopelessnessanddefeatism.Wecanfixourproblems.

InrecenttimesNigerianleadersappeartohavemisreadourmission.Ourfoundingfathers,MrHerbertMacauley,DrNnamdiAzikiwe,ChiefObafemiAwolowo,AlhajiAhmaduBello,theSardaunaofSokoto,AlhajiAbubakarTafawaBalewa,MalamAminuKano,ChiefJ.S.Tarka,MrEyoIta,ChiefDenisOsadeby,ChiefLadokeAkintolaandtheircolleaguesworkedtoestablishcertainstandardsofgovernance.Theymighthavedifferedintheirmethodsortacticsordetails,buttheywereunitedinestablishingaviableandprogressivecountry.Someoftheirsuccessorsbehavedlikespoiltchildrenbreakingeverythingandbringingdisordertothehouse.

Furthermore,weasNigeriansmustremindourselvesthatweareheirstogreatcivilizations:ShehuOthmanDanfodioscaliphate,theKanemBornoEmpire,theOyoEmpire,theBeninEmpireandKingJajasformidabledomain.Thebloodofthosegreatancestorsflowinourveins.Whatisnowrequiredistobuildontheselegacies,tomodernizeandupliftNigeria.

Dauntingasthetaskmaybeitisbynomeansinsurmountable.Thereisnowanationalconsensusthatourchosenroutetonationaldevelopmentisdemocracy.Toachieveourobjectiveswemustconsciouslyworkthedemocraticsystem.TheFederalExecutiveundermywatchwillnotseektoencroachonthedutiesandfunctionsoftheLegislativeandJudicialarmsofgovernment.ThelawenforcingauthoritieswillbechargedtooperatewithintheConstitution.Weshallrebuildandreformthepublicservicetobecomemoreeffectiveandmoreserviceable.Weshallchargethemtoapplythemselveswithintegritytostabilizethesystem.

Fortheirpartthelegislativearmmustkeeptotheirbriefofmakinglaws,carryingoutoversightfunctionsanddoingsoexpeditiously.Thejudicialsystemneedsreformtocleanseitselffromitsimmediatepast.Thecountrynowexpectsthejudiciarytoactwithdispatchonallcasesespeciallyoncorruption,seriousfinancialcrimesorabuseofoffice.Itisonlywhenthethreearmsactconstitutionallythatgovernmentwillbeenabledtoservethecountryoptimallyandavoidtheconfusionalltoooftenbedevilinggovernancetoday.

ElsewhererelationsbetweenAbujaandtheStateshavetobeclarifiedifwearetoservethecountrybetter.ConstitutionallytherearelimitstopowersofeachofthethreetiersofgovernmentbutthatshouldnotmeantheFederalGovernmentshouldfolditsarmsandcloseitseyestowhatisgoingoninthestatesandlocalgovernments.NotleasttheoperationsoftheLocalGovernmentJointAccount.WhiletheFederalGovernmentcannotinterfereinthedetailsofitsoperationsitwill

5/29/2015 ReadPresidentBuharisInauguralSpeechPoliticsNigeria

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ensurethatthegrosscorruptionatthelocallevelischecked.AsfarastheconstitutionallowsmeIwilltrytoensurethatthereisresponsibleandaccountablegovernanceatalllevelsofgovernmentinthecountry.ForIwillnothavekeptmyowntrustwiththeNigerianpeopleifIallowothersabusetheirsundermywatch.

However,nomatterhowwellorganizedthegovernmentsofthefederationaretheycannotsucceedwithoutthesupport,understandingandcooperationoflabourunions,organizedprivatesector,thepressandcivilsocietyorganizations.Iappealtoemployersandworkersaliketouniteinraisingproductivitysothateverybodywillhavetheopportunitytoshareinincreasedprosperity.TheNigerianpressisthemostvibrantinAfrica.Myappealtothemediatodayandthisincludesthesocialmediaistoexerciseitsconsiderablepowerswithresponsibilityandpatriotism.

Myappealforunityispredicatedontheseriousnessofthelegacywearegettinginto.Withdepletedforeignreserves,fallingoilprices,leakagesanddebtstheNigerianeconomyisindeeptroubleandwillrequirecarefulmanagementtobringitroundandtotackletheimmediatechallengesconfrontingus,namelyBokoHaram,theNigerDeltasituation,thepowershortagesandunemploymentespeciallyamongyoungpeople.Forthelongertermwehavetoimprovethestandardsofoureducation.Wehavetolookatthewholefieldofmedicare.Wehavetoupgradeourdilapidatedphysicalinfrastructure.

ThemostimmediateisBokoHaramsinsurgency.ProgresshasbeenmadeinrecentweeksbyoursecurityforcesbutvictorycannotbeachievedbybasingtheCommandandControlCentreinAbuja.ThecommandcentrewillberelocatedtoMaiduguriandremainuntilBokoHaramiscompletelysubdued.ButwecannotclaimtohavedefeatedBokoHaramwithoutrescuingtheChibokgirlsandallotherinnocentpersonsheldhostagebyinsurgents.

Thisgovernmentwilldoallitcantorescuethemalive.BokoHaramisatypicalexampleofsmallfirescausinglargefires.Aneccentricandunorthodoxpreacherwithatinyfollowingwasgivenposthumousfameandfollowingbyhisextrajudicialmurderatthehandsofthepolice.Sincethenthroughofficialbungling,negligence,complacencyorcollusionBokoHarambecameaterrifyingforcetakingtensofthousandsoflivesandcapturingseveraltownsandvillagescoveringswathesofNigeriansovereignterritory.

BokoHaramisamindless,godlessgroupwhoareasfarawayfromIslamasonecanthinkof.AttheendofthehostilitieswhenthegroupissubduedtheGovernmentintendstocommissionasociologicalstudytodetermineitsorigins,remoteandimmediatecausesofthemovement,itssponsors,theinternationalconnexionstoensurethatmeasuresaretakentopreventareccurrenceofthisevil.FornowtheArmedForceswillbefullychargedwithprosecutingthefightagainstBokoharam.Weshalloverhaultherulesofengagementtoavoidhumanrightsviolationsinoperations.WeshallimproveoperationalandlegalmechanismssothatdisciplinarystepsaretakenagainstprovenhumanrightviolationsbytheArmedForces.

BokoHaramisnotonlythesecurityissuebedevilingourcountry.Thespateofkidnappings,armed

5/29/2015 ReadPresidentBuharisInauguralSpeechPoliticsNigeria

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robberies,herdsmen/farmersclashes,cattlerustlingsallhelptoaddtothegeneralairofinsecurityinourland.Wearegoingtoerectandmaintainanefficient,disciplinedpeoplefriendlyandwellcompensatedsecurityforceswithinanoverallsecurityarchitecture.

TheamnestyprogrammeintheNigerDeltaisduetoendinDecember,buttheGovernmentintendstoinvestheavilyintheprojects,andprogrammescurrentlyinplace.IcallontheleadershipandpeopleintheseareastocooperatewiththeStateandFederalGovernmentintherehabilitationprogrammeswhichwillbestreamlinedandmademoreeffective.Asever,IamreadytolistentogrievancesofmyfellowNigerians.Iextendmyhandoffellowshiptothemsothatwecanbringpeaceandbuildprosperityforourpeople.

NosinglecausecanbeidentifiedtoexplainNigerianspooreconomicperformanceovertheyearsthanthepowersituation.Itisanationalshamethataneconomyof180milliongeneratesonly4,000MW,anddistributesevenless.Continuoustinkeringwiththestructuresofpowersupplyanddistributionandcloseon$20bexpandedsince1999haveonlybroughtdarkness,frustration,misery,andresignationamongNigerians.Wewillnotallowthistogoon.Carefulstudiesareunderwayduringthistransitiontoidentifythequickest,safestandmostcosteffectivewaytobringlightandrelieftoNigerians.

Unemployment,notablyyouthunemploymentfeaturesstronglyinourPartysManifesto.Weintendtoattacktheproblemfrontallythroughrevivalofagriculture,solidmineralsminingaswellascreditstosmallandmediumsizebusinessestokickstarttheseenterprises.Weshallquicklyexaminethebestwaytorevivemajorindustriesandacceleratetherevivalanddevelopmentofourrailways,roadsandgeneralinfrastructure.

YourExcellencies,MyfellowNigeriansIcannotrecallwhenNigeriaenjoyedsomuchgoodwillabroadasnow.ThemessagesIreceivedfromEastandWest,frompowerfulandsmallcountriesareindicativeofinternationalexpectationsonus.Athomethenewlyelectedgovernmentisbaskinginareservoirofgoodwillandhighexpectations.Nigeriathereforehasawindowofopportunitytofulfillourlongstandingpotentialofpullingourselvestogetherandrealizingourmissionasagreatnation.

OursituationsomehowremindsoneofapassageinShakespearesJuliusCeasarThereisatideintheaffairsofmenwhich,takenattheflood,leadsontofortuneOmitted,allthevoyageoftheirlife,Isboundinshallowsandmiseries.

Wehaveanopportunity.Letustakeit.

Thankyou

5/29/2015 ReadPresidentBuharisInauguralSpeechPoliticsNigeria

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MuhammaduBuhariPresidentFederalRepublicofNIGERIAandCommanderinchiefoftheArmedforces