So yesterday we were told in a statement by the Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, that the 2012 Democracy day ceremony would be cancelled but instead the President would be giving a live broadcast from his office this morning.
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| President Goodluck Democracy Broadcast |
Below is a transcript of the broadcast
(via Sahara reporters)
Fellow Nigerians: 1. One year ago, I was privileged to stand before
you, to take the oath of office as President of our dear country, the
third to serve you as President since the return to democratic rule in
1999. Today, I remember that day and the processes leading to it with
profound gratitude to God Almighty and to all Nigerians who have worked
very hard to enrich our journey from military dictatorship to inclusive
democratic governance.
2. For the past 13 years, we have remained a stable democracy. We
have together demonstrated that the government of the people is an ideal
that the people of Nigeria cherish. We have our differences as
individuals and as politicians, but we have shown great faith in
democracy and its institutions. We have refused to be limited by our
differences. Despite reservations about some of our institutions, we
have refused to submit to despair. This achievement is a testament to
the courage and optimism of the Nigerian people.
3. As we celebrate this year’s Democracy Day, I pay tribute to all
the men and women who have made our democratic experience meaningful:
the ordinary people who resisted military rule, and have remained
resolute in their embrace of democracy; the army of Nigerian voters who,
at every election season, troop out in large numbers to exercise their
right of franchise; the change agents in civil society who have remained
ever watchful and vigilant.
4. I pay special tribute also to all patriots who are the pillars of
our collective journey, most especially, our armed forces who have
steadfastly subordinated themselves to civil authority in the past 13
years. They have continued to demonstrate a great sense of
professionalism. They have discharged their duties to the nation with
honour and valour. In a sub-region that has witnessed instances of
political instability, authored by restless soldiers, the Nigerian Armed
Forces have remained professional in their support of democracy.
5. When General Abdusalami Abubakar handed over the baton of
authority to President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 1999, it was a turning
point for Nigeria. We did not arrive at that turning point by accident.
Many Nigerians laid down their lives for the transition to democracy to
occur. Some were jailed. Media houses were attacked and shut down. But
the people’s resolve was firm and unshakeable. This is what we
remember. This is what we celebrate. On this day, I recall especially
the martyrdom of Chief M. K. O. Abiola, whose presumed victory in the
1993 Presidential election, and death, while in custody, proved to be
the catalyst for the people’s pro-democracy uprising. The greatest
tribute that we can pay to him, and other departed heroes of Nigeria’s
democracy, is to ensure that we continue to sustain and consolidate our
democratic institutions and processes, and keep Hope alive.
6. Let us individually and collectively, continue to keep the spirit
of this day alive. No task is more important. We must continue to do
well as a people and as a democracy. We must remember where we are
coming from, so we can appreciate how far we have travelled.
7. When I assumed office as Acting President, in 2010, on account of
the health challenges suffered by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua,
there was so much anxiety in the land. The tone of public debate was
febrile. Some persons sought to use the situation in the country to sow
the seeds of discord. My primary task at that time was to do all that
was humanly possible to ensure stability within the polity. With the
support and commitment of patriotic Nigerians from all walks of life,
and the grace of the Almighty God, we were able to do so.
8. On May 6, 2010, following President Yar’Adua’s death, I assumed
office as substantive President. I subsequently presented myself as a
candidate for the 2011 Presidential elections, with a promise that under
my watch, the elections would be free, fair and credible. We kept faith
with that promise. On May 29, 2011, I was sworn in as President, the
fifth elected leader of Nigeria since independence. The success of the
2011 elections and the international acclaim that it generated was due
to your patriotic zeal and commitment. I will like to seize this
opportunity to thank all patriotic Nigerians who stood by us, and have
remained unwavering in their support. These Nigerians understand one
thing: that we all have a duty to protect and promote our country, and
that this country belongs to all of us. Electoral contest is about
values. We must not lose sight of those values that strengthen us as a
people. As long as I am President, I will do my utmost to continue to
work hard in pursuit of the common good.
9. There are challenges, yes, but we are working hard to address
those challenges. And, by God’s grace, we will succeed. My confidence is
bolstered by the results which we have achieved in different sectors
within the last twelve months.
10. Our democracy is stable. Its foundation is strong and firm. Its
future is bright. Last year, I had spoken about the policy of “one man
one vote, one woman, one vote, one youth, one vote”. I am glad to see
that the Nigerian people in all elections have continued to respect the
principle of fair play. Since this administration came into office, we
have gone to great lengths to strengthen our democratic institutions,
particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission. There are
still persons who believe that elections should be violent and
unhealthy, but they are in the minority. They will not derail our
democracy because the majority of Nigerians will not allow them to do
so.
11. Following the spate of violence, in some parts of the country,
after the 2011 elections, our administration set up a committee on
post-election violence to among other things, investigate the causes and
nature of electoral violence and make appropriate recommendations. We
will be guided by the White Paper, on that committee’s report, in
dealing more firmly with electoral violence and fraud. This will include
the establishment of Electoral Offences Tribunals to deal speedily with
established cases of electoral violence. We cannot afford to treat the
success we have recorded with our democratic experience with levity.
Electoral reform is central to our administration’s transformation
agenda. I urge all political parties to embrace this reform.
12. Our successful elections, last year, opened new vistas for
Nigeria’s foreign policy. More than ever before, Nigeria’s achievements
have generated a lot of international goodwill and recognition. We have
continued to build on this by further showing leadership in the
sub-region and the African continent. Under my watch as Chairman of the
sub-regional body, ECOWAS, and subsequently, Nigeria was in the
forefront of the efforts to ensure democratic stability in Niger, Mali,
Guinea Bissau, and particularly at a critical moment in Cote d’Ivoire.
Our foreign policy process has proven to be dynamic and pro-active.
Nigeria’s place is secure among many friends in the comity of nations.
We are building on that friendship to open up opportunities for foreign
investments in the Nigerian economy and to provide necessary support for
the vibrant community of Nigerians in the Diaspora.
13. We will continue to work hard, to turn domestic successes into a
source of motivation for greater achievements in the international
arena. We are fully aware that it is only when our people are happy and
confident that they would be in a good position to walk tall in relating
with others.
14. Today, I want to talk about what we are doing and what we have
done. I want to reassure you that we are making progress. But we can
also do a lot more. We must. And we will.
15. Our economic outlook is positive. When I assumed office last
year, there were still fears about the impact of the global economic
recession, and implications for investments. Many Nigerians were worried
about the growing rate of unemployment. In order to set Nigeria on a
sound and sustainable path toward economic growth, this administration
unveiled a set of priority policies, programmes, and projects
encapsulated in the Transformation Agenda. These programmes and
policies are aimed at consolidating our budget, fostering job creation,
engendering private sector-led inclusive growth, and creating an
enabling environment for businesses to thrive for the ultimate
betterment of the lives of Nigerians.
16. Today, progress has been made. The country’s credit rating is
positive, in contrast with many nations being downgraded. In 2011, our
economy grew by 7.45%. As at mid-May 2012, our foreign exchange reserves
had risen to $37.02 billion, the highest level in 21 months. We have
stabilized and improved our fiscal regime. We brought the fiscal deficit
down to 2. 85% of GDP from 2.9% in 2011. We reduced recurrent
expenditures from 74% to 71% and reduced domestic borrowing from N852
billion in 2011 to N744 billion in 2012. We cut out over N100 billion of
non-essential expenditure and increased our internally generated
revenue from N200 billion to N467 billion.
17. For the first time in over a decade, we now have a draft Trade
Policy which provides a multi-dimensional framework to boost our trade
regime and facilitate the inflow of investments. We have generated over
N6. 6 trillion worth of investment commitments. The total value of our
trade is also much higher than the value estimated the previous year due
to deliberate government policies. To facilitate the ease of doing
business in Nigeria, we have a policy in place to make visa procurement
easier for foreign investors, with safeguards to prevent abuse.
18. The goal of our administration is to ensure that every
Nigerian can find gainful employment. Given my dissatisfaction with the
prevailing unemployment situation in the country, our administration has
embarked on an ambitious strategy of creating jobs and job-creators
through the launch of several initiatives mainly targeted at the youths
and women.
19. In October 2011, we launched the Youth Enterprise with
Innovation in Nigeria Programme, designed to encourage entrepreneurship
and provide grants for small and medium scale enterprises. Over 1, 200
Nigerian youths have benefitted from this initiative. We have also
launched the Public Works Women and Youth Empowerment Programme, which
is designed to employ 370, 000 youths per annum, with 30% of the jobs
specially reserved for women. Let me make it clear here that our YouWIN
programme is designed to nurture and mentor young entrepreneurs to
become major players, employers and wealth creators in business.
20. We are gradually reducing the footprints of government in
business activities through privatization, liberalization and
deregulation based on our recognition that the private sector should be
the engine of growth in our economy. To ensure that the private sector
is well positioned for this task, our administration has embarked on key
structural reforms in the Power Sector and at the Ports.
21. To improve reliable power supply, our administration is
judiciously implementing the Power Sector Roadmap, which is at an
advanced stage, to fully privatize power generation and distribution
while reducing the cost of electricity to rural households and the urban
poor.
22. The commitment of this Administration to the provision of
regular and uninterrupted power supply remains strong and unwavering.
We all agree that adequate and regular power supply will be the
significant trigger to enhance this nation’s productive capacity and
accelerate growth. It is for this reason that I remain optimistic that
the reforms we have initiated, the decisions we have taken so far and
the plans we intend to faithfully prosecute will yield the desired
results.
23. To underline this commitment, three weeks ago, I convened a
special session on Power and gave specific instructions on the fast
tracking of gas production and delivery to ensure improved availability
of power. I also directed that the power sector reforms must continue
on schedule and that privatization of the sector must be completed
according to plan.
24. Our approach is two-pronged: First, is the immediate repair of
power plants, as well as transmission and distribution infrastructure in
the short term. The second is the building of institutions and the
provision of enablers to attract investors. We have revived and are
accelerating the completion of the National Integrated Power Projects.
We are also building about 4000km of transmission lines and hundreds of
substations. We have completed the design for the construction of both
Mambilla and Zungeru Hydro power plants which will add about 3, 000 MW
to the national grid.
25. By mid 2010, the national power output was about 2, 800 MW. By
the end of 2011, we reached a peak of more than 4, 000 MW. A National
Gas Emergency Plan has also been launched to redress the problem of gas
supply which arose essentially due to poor planning.
26. For long-term power availability, we have strengthened a
number of key institutions such as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory
Commission, the Bulk Trader, the National Power Training Institute of
Nigeria, and others. We are also working with the World Bank to provide
guarantees for gas and power providers. The signing of MOUs with World
Leaders in power equipment – General Electric of USA and Siemens of
Germany as well as US and China Exim Banks for financial investment, is
a clear indication of the level of confidence which the world
investment community has in our power sector road map.
27. In addition, the privatisation programme has attracted
expression of interest from 131 companies across the globe. Our
decision to bring in the private sector is clearly intended to achieve
our target of generating and distributing sufficient and reliable power
within the shortest time possible. With the measures we have put in
place, we will surely achieve success in transforming the power sector.
28. We have also focused our efforts on Ports and Customs reforms to
ensure efficiency in the handling of ports and port-related businesses.
Our administration has streamlined bureaucratic activities at the Ports
by reducing the number of agencies from 14 to 7. We have also reduced
the time for the clearance of goods from about a month, to seven days,
with the long-term objective of ensuring that cargoes are cleared within
48 hours in line with international best practice. In the meantime, our
ports, for the first time, now open for business for 24 hours.
29. In the Oil and Gas Sector, our Administration has charted a new
course that will ensure enduring transparency and accountability. We are
re-drafting the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) to ensure it meets the
aspirations of all Stakeholders given the current realities and future
expectations in the global energy landscape. Work on the PIB will be
concluded in June 2012 and formally submitted to the National Assembly.
Additionally, Special Task Forces dealing with Governance and Control,
Petroleum Revenue and National refineries are finalizing their work to
ensure probity across the oil and gas sector, and self-sufficiency in
refined petroleum products.
30. In the Downstream Sector, the Nigerian Content Development Act,
since inception in 2010, has boosted the local production of line pipes,
in-country fabrication tonnage and engineering support services. As a
result, retained in-country spend has grown from approximately US $1bn
to a current estimate of US$4bn, and over US$3 billion Foreign Direct
Investment has been brought in for upgrading and building new yards,
altogether generating over 120,000 direct and indirect jobs.
31. Capacity utilization of existing domestic refineries has greatly
improved from 30 to 60 percent. We have commenced the phased plan to
return the refineries to 90 percent capacity utilization with the
expected completion of the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt refinery by
the end of 2012, to be followed by Warri and Kaduna refineries in 2013.
32. In the Upstream Sector, the April 2012 commissioning of the Usan
Deep Offshore Field has increased crude oil production capacity by 180
thousand barrels per day. Also, Government continues to support the
National Oil Company, NPDC, by assigning 55% equity in 8 divested blocks
which has resulted in increase in reserves from 350 million barrels to
2.1 billion barrels and 160, 000 barrels of production. We have also
made significant progress in gas infrastructure development, investing
close to US$1bn for the construction of some 1000 km of pipelines, gas
supply growth and stimulation of gas industrialization. Between now and
the third quarter of 2013, Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) will be
made on gas-based industries, such as the petrochemicals and fertilizer
plants at Koko, the Central Processing Units (CPF) in Obiafu/Obrikom,
and the gas growth projects. Also, the sum of N11 billion is provided in
the 2012 Budget for Hydro-Carbon exploration in the Lake Chad Basin.
33. The Gas Revolution initiative will fully support and sustain
domestic power, whilst creating Africa’s largest gas based industrial
park, which on completion will underpin the creation of over a million
jobs and attract over US$16 billion in Foreign Direct Investment. To
protect the gains of these initiatives for all Nigerians, we are
aggressively addressing the increasing incidents of crude oil theft and
other criminal activities in the sector.
34. As a deliberate move, our goal is to transform Nigeria from a
mono-modal economy, to a diversified one. The sector that we are
focusing on to diversify our economy – and one in which Nigeria has huge
comparative advantage - is the agriculture sector. Agriculture accounts
for about 40% of our GDP and over 70% of all employment. Increases in
agricultural productivity will drive down rural poverty and revive our
rural economy.
35. In this regard, we are aggressively pursuing an agricultural
transformation agenda. Agriculture is no longer a development programme.
We are now treating agriculture as a business, one that can generate
wealth and create jobs for millions of our youths.
36. We have implemented major reforms in the sector, notably in the
fertilizer sub-sector. We have ended the practice of Federal Government
procurement and distribution of fertilizers. This we did because only
11% of farmers get the fertilizers that are bought and distributed by
government. The old system encouraged rent seekers to collude and
deprive farmers of access to fertilizers, while some of the fertilizers
ended up with political farmers and in neighbouring countries.
37. Now, the procurement and commercialization of fertilizers and
seeds have been fully deregulated to the private sector. We have ended
the culture of corruption in fertilizer procurement. We must also end
the era of food imports. Nigeria spends over 10 billion dollars every
year importing wheat, rice, sugar and fish alone. This is unacceptable.
38. Our agricultural transformation agenda is directed at promoting
local production, substituting for imported foods, and adding value to
our locally produced crops. We are recording successes already.
Government’s policy to ensure rice self-sufficiency by 2015 is already
paying off. New rice mills are being established by the private sector
to mill locally produced rice. Ebony Agro Industries located in Ikwo
Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has rolled out its high quality
parboiled rice. In Kano, Umza rice mill has taken off and can hardly
meet demand, while in Benue State Ashi rice has hit the market.
Consumers are buying more of Abakaliki and Ofada rice too.
39. To further accelerate the local production and milling of high
quality rice, government is facilitating the import and installation of
100 new large scale integrated rice mills across the country. This will
allow Nigeria, for the first time in its history, to have the capacity
to mill all of the rice that we consume.
40. Our cassava policy is working, as we accelerate the pace of
utilization of cassava to create markets for millions of our farmers.
Our goal is a bold one: we will make Nigeria, which is the largest
producer of cassava in the world, to also become the largest processor
of high value cassava products in the world.
41. To further encourage cassava utilization and value-added
products, government will support corporate bakers and master bakers
across the country to use high quality cassava flour for baking. Last
year I announced an increase in tariff and levy on wheat. To encourage
the cassava flour inclusion policy, I now direct that part of the levy
and tariff on wheat be set aside to support the promotion of high
quality cassava flour and composite cassava bread. This will include
support for needed enzymes, technical training and equipment for
corporate bakers and master bakers, as well as accelerated cassava
production.
42. We have also secured markets for cassava outside Nigeria, and
for the first time ever, Nigeria will export this year 1 million metric
tons of dried cassava chips to China. This will earn Nigeria 136 million
US dollars in foreign exchange. Last week we also successfully started
the commercial use of feed grade cassava grits, produced locally, for
use in our poultry industry.
43. We are reviving our lost glory in cocoa, with massive
distribution of 3.6 million pods of high-yielding cocoa varieties for
farmers all across the cocoa growing states of the country. The pods
will be provided free of charge. We are reviving cotton production in
the North, as well. I have directed that all seeds for cotton should be
provided, free of charge, to all cotton farmers.
44. Let me reiterate my personal passion and commitment to driving
the agricultural transformation for Nigeria. The prosperity of Nigeria
must start with improving the living standards of our farmers, and
revitalizing rural economies across the nation. The newly inaugurated
Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council, which I personally
Chair, will further drive our continued revolution of the sector. Our
goal is to add 20 million metric tons of food to our domestic food
supply by 2015 and create 3.5 million jobs. To achieve this, the
appropriate infrastructure to support all-year round farming through
irrigation is being rehabilitated and developed across the country.
45. We must use our population to create markets for what we
produce. We must grow local, buy local and eat local. To promote this, I
have directed that all official functions of government serve local
foods, especially our local rice and cassava bread and other foods. In
the State House, I am faithfully keeping to my promise of eating cassava
bread and local rice.
46. Our administration is committed to the rapid and beneficial
development of our country’s Minerals and metals potential. In the last
year, we recorded remarkable achievements in Mines and Steel
Development. We increased the number of investors in the mining sector
due to the transparent manner in which titles are now issued on a “first
come-first served and use it or lose it basis.” A total of 2,476 active
mineral titles were issued compared to 666 titles issued out in the
previous year, thereby reducing, significantly, illegal mining
activities. About 350, 000 additional jobs were created, arising from
the activities of newly registered operators. We have initiated a
programme to support private steel production outfits. This has resulted
in an increase in production figures for steel and other metals to over
1 million tonnes.
47. It is our collective desire as Nigerians to improve the standard
of education. We are particularly aggressive in addressing this
challenge. As a former school teacher, I know that it is not enough to
create jobs; we must develop human capacity, and train a generation of
Nigerian children with better competencies and skills. This will grant
them the edge that they require to compete in a skills-driven global
economy, and by extension, strengthen our national competitiveness
index.
48. I want every Nigerian child to have an opportunity to receive
quality education and acquire useful skills. We are reforming the
education sector from basic to tertiary level. The Federal Government
recently launched the Almajiri Education Programme to reduce the number
of out-of-school children which currently stands at about 9 million.
Similar programmes will soon be introduced in various parts of the
country. At the tertiary level, it is the policy of this administration
that every State will have a Federal University.
49. To this end, we have established within the last year, nine (9)
new Federal Universities and licensed nine (9) new private universities,
bringing the total number of universities in the country to 124. Even
with this, there is still the challenge of getting adequate admission
space for prospective undergraduates. While we are addressing this, the
Federal Government is also conscious of the fact that our universities
need to be better equipped, particularly with well trained teachers.
Government is, therefore, working on a programme to provide scholarships
for Nigerians who are interested in academics, to enable them obtain
their Doctorate degrees within and outside the country.
50. In addition, the Federal Government has launched a Special
Presidential Scholarship Scheme for our best and brightest brains. We
are selecting the best out of our First Class graduates in various
disciplines, especially engineering and science. They will be sent for
post-graduate studies in the best universities in the world, with the
expectation that this will lay the foundation for a desirable scientific
and technological revolution that will take Nigeria into Space in the
not too distant future.
51. One of the first steps taken by this administration was the
creation of a Ministry of Communications Technology. Its mandate
includes the design of programmes and initiatives to deploy ICT as a
driver of sustainable growth and the training of skilled manpower. For
our country to remain relevant, we need to adequately educate our
people, as it is through education that we can turn our people into
assets that can help Nigeria compete globally, and create jobs in the
new knowledge economy.
52. By the same token, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs is
providing training opportunities for the youths in the Niger Delta. In
the past year, a total of 704 youths have been sent for training, abroad
and locally, in various fields of endeavour, including agriculture,
petroleum engineering, commerce, tourism, and maritime studies. Nine
skills centres are being built, one in each of the nine states of the
Niger Delta; three of them will be completed this year.
53. An efficient and affordable public transport system remains a
priority of this Administration. Our transformation agenda in the road
sector which seeks to deliver better and safer roads to Nigerians, as
well as to link the six geo-political zones in the country with dual
carriageways, is very much on course. There has been increased
construction activities in the ongoing dualisation of Abuja–Abaji–Lokoja
Road, Kano–Potiskum–Maiduguri Road; the Benin–Ore–Shagamu Expressway;
the Onitsha–Enugu Expressway; and the construction of the Loko–Oweto
bridge, across River Benue.
54. Work has been slow on the East-West road due to budgetary
constraints, but government will discharge all liabilities to
contractors before the end of June, and funds for the remaining part of
the year, will be provided to accelerate the pace of work. In other
parts of the country, about 21 other road projects are in different
stages of completion. These include the Yola–Numan road, Aba–Owerri
road, Owerri–Onitsha expressway, Oyo–Ogbomosho old road, and the
Gombe-Potiskum road. Many others are at different stages of completion.
55. Government is also currently rehabilitating about 3,000 kms out
of the 3,505 km existing narrow gauge rail lines across the country. The
Lagos-Kano corridor will be completed this year, while the Port
Harcourt-Maiduguri corridor, which has equally commenced, will be
completed by the end of 2013. We have also commenced the construction
of the Abuja–Kaduna segment of the Lagos–Kano standard gauge rail lines,
while the Lagos–Ibadan segment will be awarded this year. The
Itakpe–Ajaokuta–Warri standard gauge rail line is nearing completion
with the entire tracks completely laid.
56. To enhance sustainability in the rail sector, this
Administration has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with General
Electric (GE) to establish a locomotive assembly plant in the country.
Our goal is to make Nigeria a major hub in West and Central Africa.
57. Within the last 12 months, we completed the capital dredging of
the Lower River Niger from Warri (Delta State) to Baro (Niger State) to
boost our inland water transportation. This year, work will commence on
the dredging of the River Benue in addition to the construction of River
Ports at Baro (Niger State), Oguta (Imo State), and Jamata/Lokoja,
(Kogi State). The Onitsha River Port in Anambra State, equipped with
modern cargo handling equipment, has been completed and I shall be
commissioning the project in the next few weeks.
58. The Aviation sector remains pivotal to our economic growth.
Within the last year, we have developed a road map for the restoration
of decaying facilities and infrastructure, some of which had not been
attended to since they were first constructed over 30 years ago.
Currently, we are renovating airports across the country and have begun
the development of four new international terminals at Lagos, Port
Harcourt, Kano and Abuja. We have also reviewed our Bilateral Air
Service Agreements to ensure improved service delivery, and more
customer-friendly processes. We are working to ensure that within the
life of this Administration, the aviation sector in Nigeria will be
transformed into a world class and self-sustaining provider of safe,
secure and comfortable air transportation.
59. Globally, the role of women in governance has assumed great
significance. In Nigeria, it is also widely acknowledged that women who
constitute about half of the Nigerian population are great and
invaluable assets, in both the public and private spheres. On our part,
we have demonstrated serious commitment in further empowering women and
projecting their role in public life. Out of the 42 members of the
Federal Executive Council, 13 are women, heading major Ministries of
Government.
60. Last week, I appointed the first female Chairman of the Federal
Civil Service Commission. In the Armed Forces, female cadets have been
admitted into the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy, an institution
that was hitherto an exclusive preserve of men. The first set will
graduate in 2016. This year, we reached a significant milestone as the
Nigerian Air Force produced the first Nigerian female combatant pilot.
Our administration will continue to empower women and the girl-child as a
focal point of our Transformation Agenda.
61. More than anything else, health matters. We are upgrading the
country’s tertiary health facilities to bring them up to international
standards. We have increased funding for health-related MDGs. We are
also committed to reducing maternal and infant mortality, and to
eradicating polio completely by 2014.
62. I want to reassure all Nigerians that this administration
remains committed to waging a sustained battle against the menace of
corruption. In the last one year, we have taken specific steps to reduce
opportunities and avenues for corruption, and to strengthen the
capacity and integrity of our institutions. For example, our ports
reform programme has reduced the number of agencies at the ports which
hitherto frustrated the speedy clearance of goods at the ports. We have
also cleared the stretch of trailers and lorries blocking the Apapa
Expressway. We have put an end to the fertilizer and tractor scam that
once dominated the agricultural sector. Our review of the pension
payment system has also blown the whistle on corrupt practices which are
now being addressed.
63. Within the last one year, we set up a committee to identify
leakages and waste in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies. I am
confident that the implementation of the recommendations of that
committee will help to eliminate corruption channels within the system,
and improve the efficiency of the public service. In January, we
announced a policy of deregulation in the downstream sector, but this
was misunderstood by naysayers and reduced narrowly to a fuel subsidy
removal initiative, whereas the policy was designed to completely
eliminate the grand corruption in the downstream sector, and create the
necessary incentives for private sector investment.
64. We have strengthened the leadership of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices
Commission (ICPC). Both agencies are being re-positioned for more
effective service delivery. We will continue to strengthen the law
enforcement and anti-corruption agencies for optimal performance. We
will also need the support of our courts. The courts have to do more.
65. Terrorism, a new menace, totally alien to our way of life and
culture, has reared its head and is posing a serious challenge. My
thoughts and prayers go to the victims of the terrorist attacks, and
their families.
66. As President, it is my solemn duty to defend the Constitution of
this country. That includes the obligation to protect life and
property. We are doing everything possible to check the menace of
terrorism. In this regard, we are determined to review some of the
existing laws, to further strengthen the national counter-terrorism
strategy. Coordinated joint action among our security agencies has now
assumed greater importance. We have developed a new security
architecture to strengthen the security environment.
67. I wish to reassure every Nigerian that we will confront this
threat against our collective peace and security, and bring the
perpetrators to justice. We will confront the few misguided persons who
falsely believe, that through violence, they can impose their agenda of
hate and division on this nation of good people. We must confront all
those who think they can derail us by engaging in indiscriminate
violence and mass murder, perpetrated in places of worship, in markets
and public places, against the media, and security personnel. Nigeria is
a nation of resilient people. We will never yield to the forces of
darkness. Nigeria will never, ever, disintegrate.
68. Let me end this address at the point where I began. What matters
most to all of us, is Nigeria. It is what binds us together. We have a
duty to be loyal to our country. If we believe this to be a sacred
obligation, it will not matter whether we are Christians or Muslims, or
politicians, irrespective of political parties or divide. It really will
not matter whether we are civil society agents, social activists or
union leaders. What matters is Nigeria. This nation exists because we
are one. We must, therefore, remain as one family, and work together to
defend our country.
69. Within two years, it would be exactly 100 years since the
Northern and Southern protectorates were amalgamated and Nigeria was
born. We need a lot more introspection, even as we look forward. We must
take steps to heal the wounds of the past and work together, as a
people with a shared destiny under one flag. We must strengthen our
collective memory, draw strength from our history, and build bridges of
unity to take our country to greater heights.
70. This is what we should do. And we must. As a starting point, we
must draw strength from our history and work to ensure that the labour
of our heroes past is not in vain. It is partly for this and other
reasons, that I have directed, as part of the activities marking today’s
Democracy Day, that all due processes should be initiated for the
building of a Presidential Museum in Abuja, the Federal Capital
Territory. This Museum will document the lives and times of Nigeria’s
Presidents and Heads of Government since 1960, and remind us, by
extension, of the high points of our national history.
71. It is also in this regard that the Federal Government has
decided that late Chief M.K.O. Abiola be honoured, for making the
ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of justice and truth. Destiny and
circumstances conspired to place upon his shoulders a historic burden,
and he rose to the occasion with character and courage. He deserves
recognition for his martyrdom, and public-spiritedness and for being the
man of history that he was. We need in our land, more men and women
who will stand up to defend their beliefs, and whose example will
further enrich our democracy. After very careful consideration, and in
honour of Chief M.K.O. Abiola’s accomplishments and heroism, on this
Democracy Day, the University of Lagos, is renamed by the Federal
Government of Nigeria, Moshood Abiola University, Lagos. The Federal
Government will also establish an Institute of Democratic Studies and
Governance in the University.
72. Thank you.
73. God bless you.
74. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
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