Being President Olusegun
Obasanjo's inaugural speech at Eagle Square, Abuja,
May 29, 2003
PROTOCOL
FELLOW Nigerians, let us thank God for this great day in the history of our
nation. Let us praise the Almighty for guiding us through many weeks of a
difficult but successful electoral process, culminating in today's milestone
event of civilian-to-civilian transition, as we continue on our political
journey towards sustainable democracy in a truly united nation.
Exactly four years ago to this day, I humbly accepted the mantle of leadership
of this country as determined by the mandate offered to me by the results of
the preceeding elections. It will be recalled that our campaign slogan had
been "the leadership you can trust". This was meant in the fullest sense and I
immediately embarked, with all resources at my disposal, to work hard in order
to earn that trust, I am indeed delighted to regard the renewed mandate as
affirmation that our leadership has been accepted as trustworthy.
Furthermore, I am humbled by the confidence reposed in our leadership by the
overwhelming response to our campaign for continuity, stability and progress,
Let me assure you that, for as long as God gives me the strength, I will not
spare any effort in rising to this challenge of building firmly and decisively
on our achievements in the last four years. By the Grace of God Almighty, we
will draw on the lessons learnt so far, and, with your patriotic support, we
will confidently advance towards our vision of a united Nigeria, a strong
Nigeria, a prosperous Nigeria, a peaceful Nigeria, a just Nigeria, indeed a
great Nigeria. This is the Nigeria of our God-ordained destiny. This is the
Nigeria that is the permanent goal in our leadership vision.
I would like to offer this day, which is also the fourth National Democracy,
Human Rights and Thanksgiving Day, as a prize for every Nigerian man, woman
and child who in their various ways, directly and indirectly, have contributed
to the march of democracy and good governance over the last four years. All
Nigerians deserve commendation for their patience with a learning curve that
began with the transition from the darkest episode of our history to the dawn
of hope. Of course, there have been numerous bumps in the process, but we have
taken them in our strides. Whereas there are a few who may have suffered as a
result of the bumps, we are pleased to note that there are more Nigerians who
are openly acknowledging that they have gained democracy dividends.
For all of us, today is a day to celebrate the fact that Nigeria has not only
remained intact, but also that the nation is getting stronger, with
institutions that are firming up, and a society that is no longer in despair
because in many respects the future is looking much much brighter.
My special appreciation goes to the Vice President and the members of the
Federal Executive Council. The collective dedication and hardwork of these men
and women, have been the driving force for moving Nigeria forward to the point
that today, we can be confident in our ability to move Nigeria forward.
Let us acknowledge with deepest appreciation the National Assembly where
Senators and Members of the House of Representatives have put in their best to
legislatively steer the ship of nation over largely uncharted waters. The
learning process for them has not been easy, but thanks to the efforts of some
of them, the next four years should hold better prospects for law-making in
this country, not to mention the prospects of higher degree of harmony between
the Executive and the Legislature, which is a sine qua non for the efficient
and effective democratic management of affairs of this nation.
Let us thank the members of the National Council of State for their prompt and
regular regard for their constitutional responsibilities.
We must appreciate that our democratic machine could only move this far
because of the supportive role of all elected officials at State and Local
government levels. These officials have made vital contributions to the
nurturing of grassroots democracy, which indeed is the base for our national
democracy.
We acknowledge, with deep appreciation the consistent support of our foreign
partners over the last four years. Beginning with expression of faith in our
transition, these partners have since welcomed us back into the comity of
nations, where our honour has been fully restored, and we are now fully
respected, as we discharge our obligations consistent with our foreign policy.
We thank those foreign investors who have followed with substantial investment
in our future and raised our profile for many others who are yet to come in.
Let me once again commend the INEC Chairman, his fellow commissioners, his
staff and officials who have done remarkably well in managing the last
elections. The sheer scale of the logistics of moving huge quantities of
materials, coordinating and conducting the voting process in thousands of
polling stations across this relatively huge country, should earn INEC a place
of honour in our history and among other electoral bodies in the world. INEC
have not claimed perfection, and no human action can ever be described as
perfect, nevertheless the post-election reviews should stand them in good
stead to strengthen our democratic practice.
Fellow Nigerians, you do not need reminding that this inauguration has
completed the task for which we have all fervently prayed and worked hard,
namely civilian-to-civilian transition. Sceptics, basing their prediction on
electoral antecedents had predicted the worst possible scenario for our
elections. Let us thank God that they have been proven wrong. And that with
your mandate, I pledge to provide leadership that will consolidate this new
democratic foundation and ensure that future elections will not only be
successful but expedite the maturing of our nation as a truly democratic
country in which Nigerians can choose their leadership without rancour.
In this context, I would like to commend the Election Tribunal for their
decisions in setting disputes arising from the elections brought before them.
All over the world. Elections manifest various degrees of imperfection. It is
for this reason that the Election Tribunals were instituted as an avenue for
all those who may have grievances to seek redress. We thus note with
satisfaction that the Election Tribunals are indeed serving to add credibility
and faith to the electoral process.
Now is the time to once more commend all participants in these elections,
including leaders of all parties and their supporters, and of course the
candidates for all the parties. Every participant in every way has added value
to the democratic principles that propelled the elections. Let me extend my
hearty congratulations to all the winners into the various elected offices, I
sincerely hope that you will remember always that those who elected you will
continue to look up to you for leadership. To those who may not have won this
time, the nation owes you appreciation for your input of dynamism into our
electoral process, thus setting us firmly on the path of democracy.
Follow Nigerians, while we celebrate today as the crowning moment of the
elections, we must not forget that the process has entailed fighting on
numerous fronts, especially for the political contestant who tend to see the
electorate as a battleground where opponents are to be vanquished. Naturally
the electioneering has meant tires of heightened passion for individuals as
well as group and communities who pushed for victory. A large number of people
came out of the election experience feeling hurt with mostly emotional
injuries, but in some instances, regrettably, there had been physical wounds,
and even death.
But at the end of it all, we should - and we must - be able to book back with
the satisfaction that it had been for a good cause, since we all aimed to
serve the cause of democracy, through exercising our democratic right to
persuade our fellow citizens to vote for us.
This is why I see my initial assignment as president in trying to heal the
wounds from the elections. As clearly expressed and implied in my oath of
office. I intend to use my mandate to provide quality leadership for all of
Nigeria and for all Nigerians regardless of their political persuasions.
Anything less would be unconstitutional, morally inadequate, and contrary to
the will of God whose wishes are my command. Above all, in adherence to my
leadership vision of a greater Nigeria, the only way to advance this country
that belongs to all of us, is through solidarity and hard work.
Fellow Nigerians, the coincidence of this day, with the anniversary of
National Human Rights, Democracy and Thanksgiving Day, gives us opportunity
once again to reflect on the journey since May 29th 1999, which marked the end
of fifteen years of undemocratic military rule.
We can all recall how the entire nation breathed a sigh of relief when we
greeted the new dawn with a collective cry of "never again!"
As the in-coming administration, we were fully conscious of the high
expectations by which the rot would immediately be put to an end, our
infrastructure would resurrect from its ruins and our comatose public service
would function again.
Nigerian society was free to dream of a social organisation that would be free
of rampant corruption and pervasive indiscipline. The citizens dreamt of a
restoration of social values and the reinstatement of self-pride. Most of all,
the feeling of despair and trauma had been such that 29th May 1999 was
perceived by many as virtually the last opportunity to rescue the nation from
the edge of a precipice of demise.
In answering the challenge, we declared, without intending to dampen people's
expectations, that it be borne in mind that we did not possess a magic wand
with which we could achieve instant transformation.
In answering the call to service, our fundamental assumption was that Nigeria
can indeed be saved and that it must be saved by Nigerians themselves for whom
this country is the only country they can call their own. Personally, I saw
the retrogression as a failure of leadership and I was emboldened by my
earlier experience whereby we had left legacies of what is achievable under
good leadership.
Four years ago, we had no illusions that it would be easy to put right in a
few years the destruction of two decades, but we did not allow the enormity of
the task to force us into a retreat. Instead we took it on as a challenge and
duty for the kind of leadership we believe can save Nigeria.
Mindful of the hopes and aspirations that Nigerians had in our vision for the
country, our first strategy was to itemise the content of that vision into
concrete steps for progressive action. The overriding consideration was that
our social system desperately needed to be rationalised and made wholesome. We
identified as imperative, the need to restore the rule of law. Our social
institutions had to be firmly based on principles of equality, justice and
peaceful co-existence. We recognised that we must enshrine the ethics of
transparency, accountability and responsible leadership. And we also
recognised that, in order to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life,
we had to put in place an economic regime that was efficient, productive and
capable of delivering perceptible results.
I can say, that to the best of my knowledge, our Administration has been
consistent in staying focused on our vision. To the best of our ability, that
vision has informed our thoughts, our polices and our actions.
Statistics of social indices show considerable improvements in the quality of
life, as measured by higher income and stronger purchasing power. The greatest
gain of all is the increase in the social capital, as measured by the amount
of faith and trust that citizens now have in their social system. There is
ample evidence that hopelessness and despair have been replaced by enthusiasm,
hope and faith in brighter prospect for the country.
We have good reasons to take pride in our records in specific areas. In the
oil and gas sector, for instance, the improvement in the last four years
dwarfs the total activities in the previous 30 years! The quantum leap in this
sector has brought us closer to our target of earning substantial revenue from
gas, in comparison to crude oil, during the next four years.
Our persistent drive to attract foreign investment has resulted in an increase
in the number of foreign investors who have either invested in the country or
are planning to do so. We have markedly improved the conditions of service of
public sector employees. The private sector is reporting significant increase
in business activities and legitimate profits.
On good governance, we note with satisfaction that the democratic process
which commenced four years ago, is in various ways thriving, along with our
democratic institutions which are showing signs of steadily maturing. The
heart of good governance is a function of the Federal Executive Council, which
we are proud to put on record has met regularly to take collective and
transparent decisions for the running of the affairs of the country.
I am happy to note that the efforts 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. 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.
Our leadership has meant the end of governance through instruments of
intimidation and coercion because we strictly believe in participation and
adherence to the rule of law. We are pleased to note that this has been
welcomed by all Nigerians, who no doubt relish such freedoms as freedom of
speech, freedom of political expression and freedom of political association.
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 judgements by the
Supreme Court on issues that are fundamental to the existence and survival of
our country.
Within this year, Nigeria's image is set for a tremendous boost with the
hosting of two key international events, namely, the All Africa Games and the
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Our image as a pariah nation is
erased for good! In four years, our status as a respected nation has grown, as
we have participated in and hosted a number of key summits in the
international forum. And now, the success of the civilian-to-civilian
transition should dispel any lingering doubts about our stability, strength
and credibility as a nation to be reckoned with at all times.
We will work to strengthen the democratic process and eliminate all forms of
electoral malpractices so that future elections will generate less tension and
enhance the quality of governance and leadership in our country.
Fellow Nigerians, in asking you to vote for continuity, stability and
progress, we took due cognisance of the fact that much of the last four years,
have been devoted to laying the foundation for the rebirth of our nation. As
architects of that foundation, we desired the opportunity to advance the
re-construction to the point where we can all have confidence in the stability
of our social system. Thus we recognise, with due humility, that there is
considerably a lot more that needs to be done, to get us closer to our
ultimate goal of a truly re-born and truly great Nigeria.
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.
Power supply: it is our determination to improve the quality of power supply
and to expand output to at lease 10,000 Megawatts by the end of our second
term in office. This is in recognition of the fact that our aspiration to
industralise will remain impaired for as long as there is not enough energy.
Healthcare: More resources will be put into our hospitals and healthcare
delivery system, not just to improve but to stop preventable deaths and raise
the national life expectancy.
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 programme will be completed and the Nigerian society can enjoy the
priviledge 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 privatisation should advance considerably and government
would be able to concentrate on its assignment of providing an enabling
environment for optimal productivity in manufacturing. We note with
appreciation that our efforts to encourage small and medium scale industries
has so far attracted substantial amount of funds from commercial banks. We
will press ahead with our plans to make this sector of the industry a vital
segment for jobs and income for a large number of Nigerians.
Politics: These last general elections have finally laid to rest the beast of
ethnic politics after over fifty years of its influence on the Nigerian
political scene. Let us praise God Almighty and commend Nigerian voters for
making this possible. We note however with apprehension that, while we
celebrate the apparent demise of ethnic politics, there is the tragic
appearance of religion in our national politics. It is imperative that we nip
this in the bud because religion mixed with politics in a multi-faith country
like ours portends destruction and devastation of our social fabric and our
entire structure.
Foreign Policy: It is pertinent to observe that our elections are not
important to us alone but to all democrats in the world. Much as the success
of our elections strengthens our democracy, it also adds significantly to the
democratic process throughout the world. We believe that human nature is
essentially the same, even though behaviour might differ according to
environment and custom. Africans, in their quest for development, do indeed
need to modernise their social systems, but we must remain firm and focused on
our Africanness, in terms of uniqueness of customs, social values, orientation
and progressive culture.
We note with satisfaction, the progress being made in ECOWAS Nigeria is proud
to be in the forefront for fast tracking programmes of integration in the
sub-region.
The New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) has been
successfully launched and has taken off. It is the Africa Union's sustainable
continental strategy for African's political and socio-economic redemption,
through good governance, sound economic reforms, respect for human rights,
investment in indigenous human and material resources, environmental
protection and international cooperation, based on shared values, peace,
common security and development.
The Africa Union itself is moving ahead in its new mission of programmes for
economic integration, together with measures towards economic stability and
unity. Here again, Nigeria will be in the forefront of actions to advance the
progress of these programmes.
We in Nigeria, are fully aware of the recent events in the world, from which
would appear that a new paradigm is evolving for a new world order. There is a
clear indication that the assumptions of post second world war order, that
gave hope, confidence, and security to all nations, big and small, are
undergoing significant changes. We in Africa, must take note of these trends,
and we must prepare adequately and accordingly, otherwise there is a serious
risk that the marginalisation that we have hitherto suffered, may become
complete de-linkage.
We must aim to fully assess all aspects of international affairs, while we
cultivate new friends and cherish old ones who have supported us, but never
forgetting that our objective is to be master of our fate, captains of our
destiny and architects of our fortune.
There is a limit to which we can depend on outside help, as illustrated in our
campaign for debt relief for over four years, with hardly any tangible
results. But we will not give up, because we believe that there is great
inequity and injustice in the debt issue which requires global attention.
Federal Executive Council: In order to assist me in my executive tasks, I plan
to assemble some of the best men and women as ministers and members of the
executive council. The appointment criteria will be: ability, integrity,
competence, shared vision and good character. The performance of all ministers
who will have targets, will be carefully monitored and assessed to ensure
effective implementation of policies in their respective ministries. The
present structure of the Presidency will be critically reviewed to include a
monitoring unit that will follow up and report on the effective implementation
of policy decisions.
Fellow Nigerians, we share your hopes for a better Nigeria, we identify with
your expectations that the government should be able to bring about the
requisite changes. I can assure you that Nigeria isnot just the number one
item on our agenda, Nigeria is in fact the only item on our agenda. And your
aspirations will remain top priority in all our policy decisions.
But all our efforts, all our material inputs will come to nought if they are
not complemented with a change in our attitudes. Four years ago, we identified
and warned against the attitude of "business as usual" as a potential enemy to
our vision. Our experience has confirmed this, such that some have regarded me
as a loner in my belief that Nigerians can change. But I am not daunted. I
have repeatedly called for moral rectitude, and I will continue to repeat the
message. I simply refuse to accept the cynical view that Nigerias prefer chaos
to order. I cannot endorse the view that Nigerians are innately corrupt. I
cannot believe that Nigerians would, in preference for a decent and civilized
society, opt for one in which law and order is disregarded, and regulations
are circumvented as the norm. I am a firm believer in the good nature of the
Nigerian, and I will continue to appeal to that good nature. My unshaken and
unshakeable faith, belief in and commitment to Nigeria is anchored in my
equally strong belief in the intrinsic good nature of humans, and that, given
the right environment and impetus, man can change for the better.
We all have a stake in Enterprise Nigeria and each of us stands a better
chance in getting optimum dividends if, instead of asking "What's in it for
me", we ask "what's in it for Nigeria", to determine our choice of action when
our sense of duty and service is called upon. Among other things, this is the
only way to ensure replenishment of that proverbial national cake, which we
all love so much to partake of. This is the ultimate solution for combating
such negative social tendencies as corruptibility, ethnicity, lack of
patriotism, lawlessness, inefficiency, diminished sense of justice, and lack
of dignity and mutual respect for fellow citizens.
Today, I ask all Nigerians to come along with me in the Nigeria-craft: let us
pilot and move it in the next four years, let us keep it at a cruising level
that is beyond turbulence, and let us sustain an optimum cruising speed in the
direction of our dreams. Let this be our hope. And let this be the challenge
for all of us.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.