Read Buhari’s inaugural speech
I am
immensely grateful to God Who Has preserved us to witness this day and
this occasion. Today marks a triumph for Nigeria and an occasion to
celebrate her freedom and cherish her democracy. Nigerians have shown
their commitment to democracy and are determined to entrench its
culture. Our journey has not been easy but thanks to the determination
of our people and strong support from friends abroad we have today a
truly democratically elected government in place.
I would
like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of
statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our people
proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and
cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it
possible for us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in
the land we can be a united people capable of doing what is right for
our nation. Together we co-operated to surprise the world that had come
to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously
accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of
political conduct in the country.
I
would like to thank the millions of our supporters who believed in us
even when the cause seemed hopeless. I salute their resolve in waiting
long hours in rain and hot sunshine to register and cast their votes and
stay all night if necessary to protect and ensure their votes count and
were counted. I thank those who tirelessly carried the campaign on the
social media. At the same time, I thank our other countrymen and women
who did not vote for us but contributed to make our democratic culture
truly competitive, strong and definitive.
I thank all of you.
Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians.
I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.
A few
people have privately voiced fears that on coming back to office I shall
go after them. These fears are groundless. There will be no paying off
old scores. The past is prologue.
Our
neighbours in the Sub-region and our African brethenen should rest
assured that Nigeria under our administration will be ready to play any
leadership role that Africa expects of it. Here I would like to thank
the governments and people of Cameroon, Chad and Niger for committing
their armed forces to fight Boko Haram in Nigeria.
I also
wish to assure the wider international community of our readiness to
cooperate and help to combat threats of cross-border terrorism, sea
piracy, refugees and boat people, financial crime, cyber crime, climate
change, the spread of communicable diseases and other challenges of the
21st century.
At home we
face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the
hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are
the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians
will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us.
We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our
problems.
In recent
times Nigerian leaders appear to have misread our mission. Our founding
fathers, Mr Herbert Macauley, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo,
Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa
Balewa, Malam Aminu Kano, Chief J.S. Tarka, Mr Eyo Ita, Chief Denis
Osadeby, Chief Ladoke Akintola and their colleagues worked to establish
certain standards of governance. They might have differed in their
methods or tactics or details, but they were united in establishing a
viable and progressive country. Some of their successors behaved like
spoilt children breaking everything and bringing disorder to the house.
Furthermore,
we as Nigerians must remind ourselves that we are heirs to great
civilizations: Shehu Othman Dan fodio’s caliphate, the Kanem Borno
Empire, the Oyo Empire, the Benin Empire and King Jaja’s formidable
domain. The blood of those great ancestors flow in our veins. What is
now required is to build on these legacies, to modernize and uplift
Nigeria.
Daunting
as the task may be it is by no means insurmountable. There is now a
national consensus that our chosen route to national development is
democracy. To achieve our objectives we must consciously work the
democratic system. The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to
encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial
arms of government. The law enforcing authorities will be charged to
operate within the Constitution. We shall rebuild and reform the public
service to become more effective and more serviceable. We shall charge
them to apply themselves with integrity to stabilize the system.
For their
part the legislative arm must keep to their brief of making laws,
carrying out over-sight functions and doing so expeditiously. The
judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past.
The country now expects the judiciary to act with dispatch on all cases
especially on corruption, serious financial crimes or abuse of office.
It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that government will
be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all
too often bedeviling governance today.
Elsewhere
relations between Abuja and the States have to be clarified if we are to
serve the country better. Constitutionally there are limits to powers
of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the
Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is
going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations
of the Local Government Joint Account. While the Federal Government can
not interfere in the details of its operations it will ensure that the
gross corruption at the local level is checked. As far as the
constitution allows me I will try to ensure that there is responsible
and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country.
For I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I
allow others abuse theirs under my watch.
However,
no matter how well organized the governments of the federation are they
can not succeed without the support, understanding and cooperation of
labour unions, organized private sector, the press and civil society
organizations. I appeal to employers and workers alike to unite in
raising productivity so that everybody will have the opportunity to
share in increased prosperity. The Nigerian press is the most vibrant in
Africa. My appeal to the media today – and this includes the social
media – is to exercise its considerable powers with responsibility and
patriotism.
My appeal
for unity is predicated on the seriousness of the legacy we are getting
into. With depleted foreign reserves, falling oil prices, leakages and
debts the Nigerian economy is in deep trouble and will require careful
management to bring it round and to tackle the immediate challenges
confronting us, namely; Boko Haram, the Niger Delta situation, the power
shortages and unemployment especially among young people. For the
longer term we have to improve the standards of our education. We have
to look at the whole field of medicare. We have to upgrade our
dilapidated physical infrastructure.
The most
immediate is Boko Haram’s insurgency. Progress has been made in recent
weeks by our security forces but victory can not be achieved by basing
the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be
relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely
subdued. But we can not claim to have defeated Boko Haram without
rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by
insurgents.
This
government will do all it can to rescue them alive. Boko Haram is a
typical example of small fires causing large fires. An eccentric and
unorthodox preacher with a tiny following was given posthumous fame and
following by his extra judicial murder at the hands of the police. Since
then through official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion
Boko Haram became a terrifying force taking tens of thousands of lives
and capturing several towns and villages covering swathes of Nigerian
sovereign territory.
Boko Haram
is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can
think of. At the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued the
Government intends to commission a sociological study to determine its
origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the
international connexions to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a
reccurrence of this evil. For now the Armed Forces will be fully charged
with prosecuting the fight against Boko haram. We shall overhaul the
rules of engagement to avoid human rights violations in operations. We
shall improve operational and legal mechanisms so that disciplinary
steps are taken against proven human right violations by the Armed
Forces.
Boko Haram
is not only the security issue bedeviling our country. The spate of
kidnappings, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cattle rustlings
all help to add to the general air of insecurity in our land. We are
going to erect and maintain an efficient, disciplined people – friendly
and well – compensated security forces within an over – all security
architecture.
The
amnesty programme in the Niger Delta is due to end in December, but the
Government intends to invest heavily in the projects, and programmes
currently in place. I call on the leadership and people in these areas
to cooperate with the State and Federal Government in the rehabilitation
programmes which will be streamlined and made more effective. As ever, I
am ready to listen to grievances of my fellow Nigerians. I extend my
hand of fellowship to them so that we can bring peace and build
prosperity for our people.
No single
cause can be identified to explain Nigerian’s poor economic performance
over the years than the power situation. It is a national shame that an
economy of 180 million generates only 4,000MW, and distributes even
less. Continuous tinkering with the structures of power supply and
distribution and close on $20b expanded since 1999 have only brought
darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation among Nigerians. We will
not allow this to go on. Careful studies are under way during this
transition to identify the quickest, safest and most cost-effective way
to bring light and relief to Nigerians.
Unemployment,
notably youth un-employment features strongly in our Party’s Manifesto.
We intend to attack the problem frontally through revival of
agriculture, solid minerals mining as well as credits to small and
medium size businesses to kick – start these enterprises. We shall
quickly examine the best way to revive major industries and accelerate
the revival and development of our railways, roads and general
infrastructure.
Your
Excellencies, My fellow Nigerians I can not recall when Nigeria enjoyed
so much goodwill abroad as now. The messages I received from East and
West, from powerful and small countries are indicative of international
expectations on us. At home the newly elected government is basking in a
reservoir of goodwill and high expectations. Nigeria therefore has a
window of opportunity to fulfill our long – standing potential of
pulling ourselves together and realizing our mission as a great nation.
Our situation somehow reminds one of a passage in Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar
There is a tide in the affairs of men which,
taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life,
Is bound in shallows and miseries.
We have an opportunity. Let us take it.
Thank you
Muhammadu Buhari
President Federal Republic of NIGERIA
and
Commander in-chief-of the Armed forces
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