‘This Is the Era of Transformation’ – President Goodluck Jonathan Inauguration Speech on May 29

[MyInfoStride]

[attachimg=1 align=left] This is the inauguration speech of President Goodluck Jonathan during his swearing-in ceremony on 29th May, 2011 as the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This speech was curled from his Facebook page.

1.          My Dear Compatriots, I stand in humble gratitude to you, this day, having just sworn to the oath of office as President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of our great nation.

2.          I thank you all, fellow citizens, for the trust and confidence, which you have demonstrated through the power of your vote. I want to assure you, that I will do my utmost at all times, to continue to deserve your trust.

3.          I would like to specially acknowledge the presence in our midst today, of Brother Heads of State and Government, who have come to share this joyous moment with us.  Your Excellencies, I thank you for your solidarity.  I also wish to express my gratitude, to the Representatives of Heads of State and Government who are here with us.  My appreciation also goes to the chairperson of the African Union and other world leaders, our development partners, and all our distinguished guests.

4.          I want to specially thank all Nigerians for staying the course in our collective commitment to build a democratic nation. To members of the PDP family and members of other political parties, who have demonstrated faith in our democratic enterprise, I salute you.

5.          At this juncture, let me acknowledge and salute my friend and brother, Vice-President Namadi Sambo; and my dear wife, Patience, who has been a strong pillar of support.

6.          I thank her for galvanizing and mobilizing Nigerian women for the cause of democracy. In the same vein, I owe a debt of gratitude to my mother and late father. I cannot thank them enough.

7.          I cannot but paytribute to our late President, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, with whom we won the Presidential election four years ago, when I contested as his running mate.   May God bless his soul.

8.          I also wish to pay tribute to our founding fathers, whose enduring sacrifices and abiding faith in the unity and greatness of our country, laid the foundation for the nation. We take enormous pride in their contributions.  The pivotal task of this generation is to lift our fatherland to the summit of greatness.
   
9.          Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, earlier this year, over seventy-three million eligible Nigerians endured all manner of inconvenience just to secure their voters cards,in order to exercise the right to choose those that will govern them.

10.     At the polls, we saw the most dramatic expressions of the hunger for democracy. Stories of courage and patriotism were repeated in many ways, including how fellow citizens helped physically challenged voters into polling stations to enable them exercise their franchise.  The inspiring story of the one hundred and three year-old man, and many like him across the country, who struggled against the physical limitations of age to cast their vote, is noteworthy.

11.     Such determination derives from the typical Nigerian spirit of resilience in the face of the greatest of odds.  That spirit has, over the years, stirred our hopes, doused our fears, and encouraged us to gather ourselves to build a strong nation even when others doubted our capacity.

12.     Today, our 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.We 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.

13.     I am mindful that I represent the shared aspiration of all our people to forge a united Nigeria: a land of justice, opportunity and plenty. Confident that a people that are truly committed to a noble ideal, cannot be denied the realization of their vision, I assure you that this dream of Nigeria, that is so deeply felt by millions, will indeed come to reality.

14.     A decade ago, it would have been a mere daydream to think that a citizen from a minority ethnic group could galvanize national support, on an unprecedented scale, to discard ancient prejudices, and win the people's mandate as President of our beloved country. That result emanated from the toil and sacrifice of innumerable individuals and institutions, many of whom may never get to receive public appreciation for their effort.

15.     Only a couple of days ago, I received an entry on my Facebook page. It was sent by Mr. Babajide Orevba. He wrote to inform me that I had lost a great fan. That fan was his father, Mr. Emmanuel Bamidele Orevba. The deceased, the son told me, was no politician, but had campaigned enthusiastically for my ticket. Tragically, overwhelmed by the joy of our victory, he collapsed, and passed on three days later. I pray God Almighty to grant his soul eternal rest.

[MyInfoStride]

31.     I am confident that we have every reason to look to the future with hope.  We owe ourselves and posterity the duty of making this country respectable in the comity of nations. Nigeria, as a responsible member of the international community, will remain committed to the maintenance of global peace and security. We will continue to play an active role in the United Nations. Our role in the African Union, ECOWAS, and the Gulf of Guinea will be enhanced to ensure greater human and energy security.

32.     Your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a new dawn for Africa. We fought for decolonization.We will now fight for democratization.  Nigeria, in partnership with the African Union, will lead the process for democracy and development in Africa. In particular, we will support the consolidation of democracy, good governance and human rights in the continent.  Africa must develop its vast resources to tackle poverty and under-development.

33.     Conscious of the negative effect of insecurity on growth and development, my Administration will seek collaboration at bilateral and multilateral levels, to improve our capability in combating trans-border crimes. In this regard, we will intensify our advocacy against the illicit trades in small arms and light weapons, which have become the catalyst for conflicts on the African continent. All Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad are to accord this vision of defending the dignity of humanity the highest priority.

34.     My fellow countrymen and women, Nigeria 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.  This is the time for action. But Nigeria can only be transformed if we all play our parts with commitment and sincerity. Cynicism and skepticism 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.

35.     Fellow Compatriots, lift your gaze towards the horizon. Look ahead and you will see a great future that we can secure with unity, hard work and collective sacrifice.

36.     Join me now as we begin the journey of transforming Nigeria.
•       I will continue to fight, for your future, because I am one of you.
•       I will continue to fight, for improved medical care for all our citizens.
•       I will continue to fight for all citizens to have access to first class education.
•       I will continue to fight for electricity to be available to all our citizens.
•       I will continue to fight for an efficient and affordable public transport system for all our people.
•       I will continue to fight for jobs to be created through productive partnerships.

37.     You have trusted me with your mandate,and I will never, never let you down.

38.     I know your pain, because I have been there.  Look beyond the hardship you have endured. See a new beginning;a new direction;a new spirit.

39.     Nigerians, I want you to start to dream again.  What you see in your dreams, we can achieve together. I call upon all the Presidential candidates who contested with me to join hands with us as we begin the transformation of our country.

40.     Let us work together; let us build together; let us bequeath a greater Nigeria to the generations to come.

41.     I thank you! God bless you all! And God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

- GEJ
This is the era of transformation | Facebook