{"id":432204,"date":"2011-05-30T00:24:19","date_gmt":"2011-05-30T00:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/30\/i%e2%80%99ll-never-never-let-you-down-jonathan-%e2%80%a2president-lists-areas-of-priority\/"},"modified":"2011-05-30T00:24:19","modified_gmt":"2011-05-30T00:24:19","slug":"ill-never-never-let-you-down-jonathan-%e2%80%a2president-lists-areas-of-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/30\/ill-never-never-let-you-down-jonathan-%e2%80%a2president-lists-areas-of-priority\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019ll never, never let you down -Jonathan \u2022President lists areas of priority"},"content":{"rendered":"
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|\u00a0Print\u00a0|<\/a>\u00a0E-mail<\/a><\/p>\n

Written by Leon Usigbe, Taiwo Adisa, Jacob Segun Olatunji and Clement Idoko, Abuja<\/span> Monday, 30 May 2011<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan was, on Sunday, sworn in for a fresh term of four years in a ceremony at the Eagle Square, Abuja,<\/p>\n

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witnessed by, at least, 35 foreign heads of government, telling Nigerians that the time of lamentation is over.<\/p>\n

His swearing-in at about 12.47 p.m. was preceded by that of the vice-president, Alhaji Namadi Sambo, in a ceremony which also witnessed an unprecedented tight security.<\/p>\n

Speaking immediately after the oath was administered to him by the Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, Jonathan stressed that his administration would initiate measures that would lead to the creation of the Nigeria of the citizens\u2019 dream.<\/p>\n

According to him, \u201cNigeria 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the time for action. But Nigeria can only be transformed if we all play our parts with commitment and sincerity. Cynicism and scepticism will not help our journey to greatness. Let us all believe in a new Nigeria. Let us work together to build a great country that we will all be proud of. This is our hour,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

While calling for the cooperation of all stakeholders, he added that over the next four years, attention would be focused on rebuilding infrastructure, quality education, greater health care delivery and agricultural sector to enable it to play its rightful role in the country.<\/p>\n

Jonathan said: \u201cWe will push programmes and policies that will benefit both local and foreign businesses, but we must emphasise 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo drive our overall economic vision, the power sector reform is at the heart of our industrialisation strategy. I call on all stakeholders to cooperate with my administration to ensure the success of the reforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver 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 to play its role of ensuring food security and massive job creation for our people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jonathan further stated that in the days ahead, elected officials must show that they are men and women with patriotism and passion to match the hopes and aspirations of the people, saying that they must demonstrate the leadership, statesmanship, vision, capacity, and sacrifice, to transform the nation.<\/p>\n

According to him: \u201cWe must strengthen common grounds, develop new areas of understanding and collaboration, and seek fresh ideas that will enrich our national consensus. It is the supreme task of this generation to give hope to the hopeless, strength to the weak and protection to the defenceless.\u201d<\/p>\n

He contended that \u201cthe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The president reminded the people of the country that being a Nigerian was a blessing, saying \u201cIt is also a great responsibility. We must make a vow that, together, we will make the Nigerian enterprise thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe leadership and the followership must strive to convert our vast human and natural resources into the force that leads to a greater Nigeria. The Nigeria of our dreams must be built on hard work 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

He further noted that, \u201cThe moment is right. The signs are heart-warming. 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cNigeria is blessed with enormous natural wealth, and my administration will continue to encourage locally owned enterprises to take advantage of our resources in growing the domestic economy. A robust private sector is vital to providing jobs for our rapidly expanding population. But this must be a collaborative effort,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

Giving further insight into the plans of his new administration, he revealed: \u201cWe must form technical and financial partnerships with global businesses and organisations. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking on the new Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, he pointed out that it would immensely contribute to strengthening the country\u2019s fiscal framework, by institutionalising savings of commodity-related revenues, saying that \u201cwith this mechanism in place, we will avoid the boom and bust cycles and mitigate our exposure to oil price volatility.\u201d<\/p>\n

President Jonathan noted the sacrifice Nigerians went through to make sure they voted for leaders in the last general election. He said it was a demonstration of the resilience of Nigerians in the face of all odds and their determination to forge ahead as a nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, \u201cour unity is firm, and our purpose is strong, our determination unshakable. Together, we will unite our nation and improve the living standards of all our peoples, whether in the North or in the South; in the East or in the West. Our decade of development has begun. The march is on. The day of transformation begins today.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will not allow anyone exploit differences in creed or tongue, to set us one against another. Let me at this point congratulate the elected governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and those of the states houses of Assembly for their victories at the polls,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

On his ascension to power, he said it would have been unheard of about a decade ago for a citizen from the minority to rise to such position.
He paid tribute to slain members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing them as \u201cheroes of our democracy,\u201d while regretting that despite the free, fair and transparent manner the last elections were conducted, \u201ca senseless wave of violence in some parts of the country led to the death of 10 members of the NYSC and others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Addressing the issue of corruption, Jonathan said it would be met by \u201cthe overwhelming force of our collective determination, to rid our nation of this scourge,\u201d saying that \u201cthe 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 commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Conscious of the negative effect of insecurity on growth and development, he said his administration would seek collaboration at bilateral and multilateral levels, to improve capability in combating trans-border crimes.<\/p>\n

He assured that Nigerians had every reason to look forward to the future with optimism, while calling that \u201clet us work together; let us build together; let us bequeath a greater Nigeria to the generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Foreign heads of government who graced the occasion included the presidents of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouleflika; Benin Republic, Yayi Boni; Burkina Faso, Blaise Compraore; Central African Republic, Francois Bozize; Chad, Idris Derby; Republic of Congo, Sassau-Nguesso; Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila; Ivory Coast, Allasane Quattara; Equitorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo; Ghana, John Evans Atta-Mills; Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola; Paul Biya of Cameroon, Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo Brazzaville.<\/p>\n

Also present were presidents of Guinea, Alpha Conde; Guinea Bissau, Malam Bacai Sanha; Liberia, Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson; Mali, Amadou Toumani Toure; Niger, Salou Djibou; Rwanda, Paul Kagame; Sao Tome and Principe, Fradique De Menzes; Senegal, Abdoulaiye Wade; Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma; South Africa, Jacob Zuma; Togo, Faure Gnassingbe; Uganda, Yoweri Museveni; Zambia, Rupiah Banda and Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe.<\/p>\n

Others countries represented by their prime ministers or vice-president included Swaziland, Switzerland, Burundi, Korea, Kenya, Gambia, Tanzania, Georgia and Ethiopia and former president of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings.<\/p>\n

Among prominent Nigerians present on the occasion were former heads of state, General Yakuibu Gowon and General Abdulsalami Abubakar; former presidents, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the official inauguration of President Jonathan, in Abuja, on Sunday, was taken over by the military personnel who directed all the affairs, which had hitherto been done by other security agents and civilians in the past.<\/p>\n

This is just as former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida; former head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar shunned the inauguration.<\/p>\n

Also, all Global Mobile System (GSM) operators crippled networks during the inauguration, thus making communication in and outside of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, impossible.<\/p>\n

Stern-looking soldiers shut down all the roads leading to the Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the inauguration, causing invited dignitaries and others to trek several kilometres to the venue, after undergoing series of security checks by combined team of security personnel.<\/p>\n

As a result of tight security arrangement, all the dignitaries, except President Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo, were not allowed to ride into the venue of the inauguration in their official cars, including all the former heads of states and visiting world leaders.<\/p>\n

President Jonathan and Vice-President Sambo rode in their staff cars to the arena without the usual fanfare of escorts.<\/p>\n

However, the occasion was nearly marred by the collapse of a police officer attached to the anti-bomb disposal unit in front of President Jonathan, shortly after he inspected the Guards of Honours, while another unidentified woman slumped in the middle of the programme and was quickly rushed to the Aso Villa Clinic for medical attention.<\/p>\n

This is coming just as accredited foreign and local journalists were initially barred by security operatives from entering the Eagle Square, after crossing huddles of security checks.<\/p>\n

An order by a senior military officer to attack some journalists who had come to cover the event caught the attention of the Minister of Information and Communications, Mr Labaran Maku, who quickly intervened and pleaded that the journalists be allowed into the venue, since they had been duly accredited.<\/p>\n

The ceremony came to a climax at about 12.45 p.m. when the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr Sunday Awolabi, invited the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, who administered the Oath of Office and Allegiance on Vice-President Sambo and President Jonathan respectively.<\/p>\n

This was followed by presentation of Coat of Arms, National Flag, Regimental flag and the Sword of Office to President Jonathan as instruments of office.<\/p>\n

The president immediately carried out his first official assignment, which was the inspection officers and guards on parade with cheers from the crowd as he drove round the arena waving hands with smiles.<\/p>\n

The occasion was brought to an end with the traditional 21 gun salutes in honour of President Jonathan, who assured Nigerians that he would not let them down in the trust reposed in him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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