MAY29: A Peep Into Buhari's Inaugural Speech

REVIEW OF INAGURAL SPEECH FROM 2003-TILL DATE

As Nigerians look forward to May 29th her Democracy day and also her inauguration day, I took it up within myself to review inaugural speech of Nigerian’s democratically elected presidents, to see the similarities and the promises, possibly these men in power have probably

been copying each other’s style in laying out their speech or have totally copied but stylishly changing grammatical structures. Let’s review them.

 OLUSEGUN OBASANJO’S 2003 INAGURAL SPEECH

Starting with the first democratic president of Nigeria’s 2003 speech wherein he did review his 1999 speech, the highlighted keypoint are laid below;

KEY POINTS

ON CORRUPTION

Recounting what his administration has done 1999-2003 OBJ said

“I am happy to note that the effort to truncate the anti- corruption law, which forms the pillar of the fight against corruption, has been so far unsuccessful. And Due Process has made its impact on costs of contracts, supplies and purchases. We are aware of the expectation to see rapid results from our anti-corruption crusade”
He continued  “Our leadership regards corruption as the antithesis of development and I would like to assure you that we are determined to fight this evil to a standstill. For starters, we have been able to put in place an anti-corruption commission which, unfortunately, has had to cope with legislative and constitutional hurdles”

The commission has brought 39 cases of corruption to court for prosecution; this is in stark contrast with none at all in the preceding 20 years. After the court battle on the anti-corruption law, we will seek to amend the initial law for expeditious handling of corruption cases in the court.

“We have cause to be proud of the fact that there are no political prisoners in Nigeria today” No Nigerian asylum seekers. We are proud of the freedom and independence of the judiciary, manifested in landmark judgments by the Supreme Court on issues that are fundamental to the existence and survival of our country.

Although, we have in place policies pointing in the direction of our objectives, we intend to intensify and consolidate progress in many areas.

ON INFRASTRUCTURE

Our vigorous policy of investment in roads, energy and water supply has begun to yield noticeable results. We intend to construct more roads and maintain old ones, to improve transportation and ease movement of goods throughout the country.

ON POWER SUPPLY

It is our determination to improve the quality of power supply and to expand output to at least 10,000 Megawatts by the end of our second term in office. This is in recognition of the fact that our aspiration to industrialize will remain impaired for as long as there is not enough energy.
EDUCATION

The introduction of UBE as a priority policy underlines our commitment to provide opportunity for the education of all our citizens in order to develop their innate abilities and empower them to fully participate in the development of the country.

The UBE program will be completed and the Nigerian society can enjoy the privilege of having in school, all children of school age.

We plan to complete the refurbishment of our educational institutions at all levels in order to make them fully operational, qualitatively and quantitatively, so as to meet the educational needs and skill development of our society.
AGRICULTURE:

Production has continued to increase year by year as a result of an agricultural policy to ensure food security for this nation through increased crop, production, improved livestock husbandry as well as new marketing strategies for better returns for farmers.

We intend to pursue the various strands of agricultural policies to the level of food security when we can begin to claim that the average Nigerian is eating enough of balanced diet from food that is available and affordable.
Industry: The ongoing privatization should advance considerably and government would be able to concentrate on its assignment of providing an enabling environment for optimal productivity in manufacturing.

During the transition did we remember to ask, how far did Obasanjo’s administration go with his aspiration for our dear country Nigeria?
Don’t conclude yet we have some other speeches to review..

PRESIDENT MUSA YARA’DUA 2007 INAGURAL SPEECH

ANALYSIS ON THE 7 POINTS AGENDA

Our goal now is to build on the greatest accomplishments of the past few years. Relying on the 7-point agenda that formed the basis of our compact with voters during the recent campaigns, we will concentrate on rebuilding our physical infrastructure and human capital in order to take our country forward. We will focus on accelerating economic and other reforms in a way that makes a concrete and visible difference to ordinary people.

ON INFRASTRUCTURE

Our economy already has been set on the path of growth. Now we must continue to do the necessary work to create more jobs, lower interest rates, reduce inflation, and maintain a stable exchange rate. All this will increase our chances for rapid growth and development. Central to this is rebuilding our basic infrastructure. We already have comprehensive plans for mass transportation, especially railroad development. We will make these plans a reality.

ON POWER SUPPLY

Equally important, we must devote our best efforts to overcoming the energy challenge. Over the next four years we will see dramatic improvements in power generation, transmission and distribution. These plans will mean little if we do not respect the rule of law.

ON SECURITY

Our government is determined to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies, especially the police. The state must fulfill its constitutional responsibility of protecting life and property.

The crisis in the Niger Delta commands our urgent attention. Ending it is a matter of strategic importance to our country. I will use every resource available to me, with your help, to address this crisis in a spirit of fairness, justice, and cooperation. We have a good starting point because our predecessor already launched a master plan that can serve as a basis for a comprehensive examination of all the issues. We will involve all stakeholders in working out a solution.

As part of this effort, we will move quickly to ensure security of life and property, and to make investments safe. In the meantime, I appeal to all aggrieved communities, groups and individuals to immediately suspend all violent activities, and respect the law. Let us allow the impending dialogue to take place in a conducive atmosphere. We are all in this together, and we will find a way to achieve peace and justice.

ON HEALTH

As we work to resolve the challenges of the Niger Delta, so must we also tackle poverty throughout the country. By fighting poverty, we fight disease. We will make advances in public health, to control the scourge of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases that hold back our population and limit our progress.

We are determined to intensify the war against corruption, more so because corruption is itself central to the spread of poverty. Its corrosive effect is all too visible in all aspects of our national life. This is an area where we have made significant progress in recent years, and we will maintain the momentum..

ON EDUCATION

We also are committed to rebuilding our human capital, if we are to support a modern economy. We must revive education in order to create more equality, and citizens who can function more productively in today's world.

To our larger African family, you have our commitment to the goal of African integration. We will continue to collaborate with fellow African states to reduce conflict and free our people from the leg chains of poverty. To all our friends in the international community, we pledge our continuing fidelity to the goals of progress in Africa and peace in the world.

Late President Musa Yara’dua died May 5, 2010 with Goodluck Ebele Jonathan taking over his 7points agenda, I wouldn’t want to go deeply into analysis of the speech, but stick to the review alone. After contesting in 2011 President Ebele Jonathan continued with the mantle of ruling Nigeria and here is his own Agenda.

GOODLUCK EBELE’S 2011 SPEECH

TRANSFORMATION AGENDA

Fellow citizens, the leadership we have pledged is decidedly transformative. The transformation will be achieved in all the critical sectors, by harnessing the creative energies of our people.
We must grow the economy, create jobs, and generate enduring happiness for our people. I have great confidence in the ability of Nigerians to transform this country. The urgent task of my administration is to provide a suitable environment, for productive activities to flourish. I therefore call on the good people of Nigeria, to enlist as agents of this great transformation.

My dear countrymen and women, being a Nigerian is a blessing. It is also a great responsibility. We must make a vow that, together, we will make the Nigerian Enterprise thrive.
The leadership and the follower ship must strive to convert our vast human and natural resources into the force that leads to a great Nigeria. The Nigeria of our dreams must be built on handwork and not on short cuts. Let me salute the Nigerian workers who build our communities, cities and country. They deserve fair rewards, and so do the women that raise our children, and the rural dwellers that grow our food.

The moment is right. The signs are heart-warning. We are ready to take off on the path of sustained growth and economic development. In our economic strategy, there will be appropriate policy support to the real sector of the economy, so that Small and Medium Enterprises may thrive. Nigeria is blessed with enormous natural wealth, and my Administration will continue to encourage locally owned rapidly expanding population. But this must be a collaborative effort.

We must form technical land financial partnerships with global businesses and organizations. We live in an age where no country can survive on its own; countries depend on each other for economic well-being. Nigeria is no different. Returns on investment in Nigeria remain among the highest in the world. We will continue to welcome sustainable investment in our economy.

We will push programs and policies that will benefit both local and foreign businesses, but we must emphasize mutual benefits and win-win relationships. The overall ongoing reforms in the banking and financial sectors are therefore designed to support the real sector of the economy.
To drive our overall economic vision, the power sector reform is at the heart of our industrialization strategy. I call on all stakeholders, to co-operate with my administration, to ensure the success of the reforms.

Over the next four years, attention will be focused on rebuilding our infrastructure. We will create greater access to quality education and improved health care delivery, we will pay special attention to the agricultural sector, to enable it play its role of ensuring food security and massive job creation for our people.

The creation of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority will immensely contribute to strengthening our fiscal framework, by institutionalizing savings of our commodity-related revenues. With this mechanism in place, we will avoid the boom and bust cycles, and mitigate our exposure to oil price volatility.
The lesson we have learnt is that the resolution of the Niger Delta issue is crucial for the health of the nation'
Fellow citizens, in every decision, I shall always place the common good before all else. The bane of corruption shall be met by the overwhelming force of our collective determination, to rid our nation of this scourge. The fight against corruption is a war in which we must all enlist, so that the limited resources of this nation will be used for the growth of our common wealth.

I am confident that we have every reason to look to the future with hope. We owe ourselves and posterity the duly of making this country respectable in the comity of nations. Nigeria, as a responsible member of the international community, will remain committed to the maintenance of global peace and security. We will continue to play an active role in the United Nations. Our role in the African Union, ECOWAS, and the Gulf of Guinea will be enhanced to ensure greater human and energy security.
Your Excellences, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a new dawn for Africa. We fought for decolonization. We will now fight for democratization. Nigeria, in partnership with the African Union, will lead the process for democracy and development in Africa in particular. We will support the consolidation of democracy, good governance and human rights in the continent. Africa must develop its vast resources to tackle poverty and under development.

Conscious of the negative effect of insecurity on growth and development, my administration will seek collaboration at bilateral and multilateral levels, to improve our capability in combating trans-border crimes. In this regard, we will intensify our advocacy against the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, which have become the catalyst for conflicts on the African continent. All Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad are to accord this vision of defending the dignity of humanity the highest priority.

My fellow countrymen and women, Nigerian is not just a land of promise; it shall be a nation where positive change will continue to take place, for the good of our people. The time for lamentation is over. This is the era of transformation. This is the time for action. But Nigerian can only be transformed if we all play our parts with commitment and sincerity. Cynicism and skepticism will not help our journey to greatness. Let us all believe in a new Nigerian. Let us work together to build a great country that we will all be proud of. This is our hour.
Fellow Compatriots, lift your gaze towards the horizon. Look ahead and you will see a great future that we can secure with unity, hard work and collective sacrifice.
Join me now as begin the journey of transforming Nigeria
* I will continue to fight, for your future, because I am one of you.
* I will continue to fight, for improved medical care for all our citizens
* I will continue to fight for all citizens to have access to first class education
* I will continue to fight, for electricity to be available to all our citizens
* I will continue to fight, for an efficient and affordable public transport system for all our people
* I will continue to fight for jobs to be created through productive partnerships.

You have trusted me with your mandate, and I will never, never let you down.
I know your pain, because I have been there. Look beyond the hardship you have endured. See a new beginning, a new direction; a new spirit.

Nigerians, I want you to start to dream again. What you see in your dreams, we can achieve together. I call upon all the Presidential candidates who contested with me to join hands with us as we begin the transformation of our country.

How far has the out-going administration gone, has any of the past, present/out-going administration actually actualized their set goals, is the inaugural speech just a propaganda or its just delivered to observe necessary protocols.

Now with Nigerian’s high expectation from the in-coming administration what do you picture or draft inside of you to be the next inaugural speech of Muhammadu Buhari on May 29?

A peep into history to have an idea of Buhari’s Inaugural Speech

BUHARI’S FIRST SPEECH AFTER THE MILITARY COUP OF 31ST DECEMBER 1983

In pursuance of the primary objective of saving our great nation from total collapse, I, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari of the Nigerian army have, after due consultation amongst the services of the armed forces, been formally invested with the authority of the Head of the Federal Military Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is with humility and a deep sense of responsibility that I accept this challenge and call to national duty.

As you must have heard in the previous announcement, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1979) has been suspended, except those sections of it which are exempted in the constitution. The change became necessary in order to put an end to the serious economic predicament and the crisis of confidence now afflicting our nation. Consequently, the Nigerian armed forces have constituted themselves into a Federal Military Government comprising of a Supreme Military Council, a National Council of States, a Federal Executive Council at the centre and State Executive Councils to be presided over by military governors in each of the states of the federation. Members of these councils will be announced soon. The last Federal Military Government drew up a program with the aim of handing over political power to the civilians in 1979. This program as you all know was implemented to the letter. The 1979 constitution was promulgated.

However, little did the military realize that the political leadership of the second republic will circumvent most of the checks and balances in the constitution and bring the present state of general insecurity. The premium on political power became so exceedingly high that political contestants regarded victory at elections as a matter of life and death struggle and were determined to capture or retain power by all means. It is true that there is a worldwide economic recession.

However, in the case of Nigeria, its impact was aggravated by mismanagement. We believe the appropriate government agencies have good advice but the leadership disregarded their advice. The situation could have been avoided if the legislators were alive to their constitutional responsibilities; instead, the legislators were preoccupied with determining their salary scales, fringe benefit and unnecessary foreign travels, et al, which took no account of the state of the economy and the welfare of the people they represented.

As a result of our inability to cultivate financial discipline and prudent management of the economy, we have come to depend largely on internal and external borrowing to execute government projects with attendant domestic pressure and soaring external debts, thus aggravating the propensity of the outgoing civilian administration to mismanage our financial resources. Nigeria was already condemned perpetually with the twin problem of heavy budget deficits and weak balance of payments position, with the prospect of building a virile and viable economy.

The last general election was anything but free and fair. The only political parties that could complain of election rigging are those parties that lacked the resources to rig. There is ample evidence that rigging and thuggery were relative to the resources available to the parties. This conclusively proved to us that the parties have not developed confidence in the presidential system of government on which the nation invested so much material and human resources. While corruption and indiscipline have been associated with our state of under-development, these two evils in our body politics have attained unprecedented height in the past few years. The corrupt, inept and insensitive leadership in the last four years has been the source of immorality and impropriety in our society.

Since what happens in any society is largely a reflection of the leadership of that society, we deplore corruption in all its facets. This government will not tolerate kick-backs, inflation of contracts and over-invoicing of imports etc. Nor will it condone forgery, fraud, embezzlement, misuse and abuse of office and illegal dealings in foreign exchange and smuggling. Arson has been used to cover up fraudulent acts in public institutions. I am referring to the fire incidents that gutted the P&T buildings in Lagos, the Anambra State Broadcasting Corporation, the Republic Building at Marina, the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Capital Development Authority Accounts at Abuja and the NET Building. Most of these fire incidents occurred at a time when Nigerians were being apprehensive of the frequency of fraud scandals and the government incapacity to deal with them. Corruption has become so pervasive and intractable that a whole ministry has been created to stem it.

Fellow Nigerians, this indeed is the moment of truth. My colleagues and I – the Supreme Military Council, must be frank enough to acknowledge the fact that at the moment, an accurate picture of the financial position is yet to be determined. We have no doubt that the situation is bad enough. In spite of all this, every effort will be made to ensure that the difficult and degrading conditions under which we are living are eliminated. Let no one however be deceived that workers who have not received their salaries in the past eight or so months will receive such salaries within today or tomorrow or that hospitals which have been without drugs for months will be provided with enough immediately. We are determined that with the help of God we shall do our best to settle genuine payments to which government is committed, including backlog of workers’ salaries after scrutiny.

We are confident and we assure you that even in the face of the global recession, and the seemingly gloomy financial future, given prudent management of Nigeria’s existing financial resources and our determination to substantially reduce and eventually nail down rises in budgetary deficits and weak balance of payments position. The Federal Military Government will reappraise policies with a view to paying greater attention to the following areas: The economy will be given a new impetus and better sense of direction. Corrupt officials and their agents will be brought to book.

In view of the drought that affected most parts of the country, the federal government will, with the available resources, import food stuffs to supplement the shortfalls suffered in the last harvest. Our foreign policy will both be dynamic and realistic. Africa will of course continue to be the center piece of our foreign policy. The morale and combat readiness of the armed forces will be given high priority. Officers and men with high personal and professional integrity will have nothing to fear.

The Chief Justice of Nigeria and all other holders of judiciary appointments within the federation can continue in their appointments and the judiciary shall continue to function under existing laws subject to such exceptions as may be decreed from time to time by the Federal Military Government. All holders of appointments in the civil service, the police and the National Security Organization shall continue to exercise their functions in the normal way subject to changes that may be introduced by the Federal Military Government.

All those chairmen and members of statutory corporations, parastatals and other executive departments are hereby relieved of their appointments with immediate effect.

The Federal Military Government will maintain and strengthen existing diplomatic relations with other states and with international organizations and institutions such as the Organization of African Unity, the United Nations and its organs, Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, ECOWAS and the Commonwealth etc. The Federal Military Government will honor and respect all treaties and obligations entered into by the previous government and we hope that such nations and bodies will reciprocate this gesture by respecting our country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Fellow Nigerians, finally, we have dutifully intervened to save this nation from imminent collapse. We therefore expect all Nigerians, including those who participated directly or indirectly in bringing the nation to this present predicament, to cooperate with us. These generations of Nigerians, and indeed future generations, have no country other than Nigeria. We shall remain here and salvage it together. May God bless us all.

Waoh! do we have an idea of what to expect from Muhammadu Buhari on May 29th 2015 at the eagles square at Abuja.

Fingers are crossed… Nigerians are anticipating, expectations are high but all the same cabinet has been dissolved together 27th May 2015, political analysist are on set while we await to innagurate the man who has failed three times consecutively in his attempt to become Nigeria’s civilian President. The man who has the favorite quote ‘’if Nigerians won’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria’’ the oldest President-elect  in the history of Nigeria.

The man attributed to be the ‘Mandela of Nigeria’ Probably that is why Nigerians have taken freedom walks from across the nation to celebrate his victory.

As Nigerians anticipate with high expectations I do end with this quote by Plato ‘There will be no end to the troubles of states, or of humanity itself, till philosophers become kings in this world, or till those we now call kings and rulers really and truly become philosophers, and political power and philosophy thus come into the same hands.

 Omitoyin Victor