Muhammadu Buhari on Friday became the fifth elected President of Nigeria with a promise that he would serve as the President of all, irrespective of their political affiliations, ethnicity or religion, in accordance with the oath he swore to.
“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,” Buhari said in his inaugural speech read before the mammoth crowd that besieged the Eagles Square, to witness the inauguration.
He said his inauguration day marked a triumph for Nigeria and an occasion to celebrate the nation’s freedom and cherish her democracy.
The President also allayed fears in some quarters that he would go after perceived enemies on assumption of office.
He described the fears as groundless.
“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,” the President declared.
He assured the international community of his administration’s readiness to cooperate and help to combat threats of cross-border terrorism, sea piracy, refugees, financial crime, cyber crime, climate change, the spread of communicable diseases and other challenges of the 21st century.
He listed insecurity, pervasive corruption as well as unending fuel and power shortages as some of the immediate concerns of his administration.
While promising to tackle the nation’s challenges headlong, Buhari promised that Nigerians will not regret that they had entrusted national responsibility to him.
Buhari also promised that the Federal Executive under his watch would not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government while law enforcing authorities would be charged to operate within the Constitution.
He promised to rebuild and reform the public service to become more effective and more serviceable.
Buhari said although the Federal Government could not interfere in the details of joint accounts between states and local governments, 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,” he added.
While appealing for unity and support from Nigerians, Buhari admitted that the task ahead was daunting.
He said with depleted foreign reserves, leakages and debts, the Nigerian economy was in deep trouble.
As part of the strategies to fight insurgency orchestrated by the activities of Boko Haram, the President said he would relocate the command and control centre to Maiduguri, Borno State.
He said, “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 there 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.
He added that by the time his government would have subdued Boko Haram, it would commission a sociological study to determine the group’s origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the international connections to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a recurrence of this evil.
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