President Muhammadu Buhari ended his 1,972 word inaugural speech yesterday with the affirmation that the country now has an opportunity which must not be wasted.

Remarkably, the speech was laced with several opportunities before the nation – some new opportunities and many others fallow opportunities that had constrained the country to a prostrate giant, useless at home and fickle abroad.

GRACE

Opening his speech, Buhari showed grace in the way and manner he poured encomiums on his vanquished challenger, former President Goodluck Jonathan when he said:

I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are.

It is also the duty of the president to raise the hope and spirit of the citizenry and that was exactly what the president did and Nigerians everywhere in the world hearing him who had until now hidden their green passports could raise their heads high once again.

NO ONE OWNS BUHARI

While thanking Nigerians for the outpouring of support given to him and the sacrifices made especially in insisting that votes counted, the president gave the clincher that nearly everyone of his backers probably had been apprehensive of when he said:

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.

The fear that the new president would be held hostage to interest groups that supported his election had largely been raised. The president rightly repelled such putting it matter of fact that he would not be held hostage and that he would be a father figure to all.

The president also dismissed fears that he would be a vindictive person and go after those who had in the past hurt him.

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.

GIANT IN THE SUN

Nigeria had in recent times lost its leadership role in the continent to the extent that the country would struggle with continental minions for prestige and honour in the comity of nations. The degrading of Nigeria in the international community was seen in the positioning of the Nigerian president in the back row of photographs of international leaders.

Buhari yesterday asserted the re-emergence of Nigeria as Africa leader in the comity of nations.

 Our neighbours in the Sub-region and our African brethren should rest assured that Nigeria under our administration will be ready to play any leadership role that Africa expects of it.

He was, however, not arrogant to forget the help offered by such continental minions at the worst of the nation’s degradation, pointedly appreciating the help offered by “the governments and people of Cameroon, Chad and Niger for committing their armed forces to fight Boko Haram in Nigeria.”

RULE OF LAW

One of the most touching remarks by President Buhari yesterday was his point on his adherence to constitutionality.

“The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government. The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the Constitution.

For their part the legislative arm must keep to their brief of making laws, carrying out over-sight functions and doing so expeditiously. The judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past.

Buhari by his assertion intends to operate within the ambit of the law. He has also thrown a challenge to other arms of government that they too should operate within the ambit of the law. By asserting that he would not encroach into the operations of other arms of government, it was a warning to National Assembly members who had taken oversight functions as another channel for corruption. “Keep to your brief”, the president warned yesterday. The president also dared the judiciary calling on the arm of government to cleanse itself from its immediate past.

NOTHING WILL STOP HIM AGAINST CORRUPTION

Constitutionally there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Account.

The operation of the local government account has almost been put as the cesspool of corruption which has negatively impacted on the development of the local governments. In almost all the states of the country, it is the drainpipe used by governors to suck the local governments dry.

Buhari yesterday stated that he would not cross the boundaries placed on him in a constitutional democracy in his dealing with them, however, he has vowed not to be silent in the face of rapacious misuse of the funds of the local governments. In this respect, it is expected that as he has control of the financial police, that he would use the apparatus of the security agencies to check the misuse of the local government funds.

NO MORE DECREE 4

Thirty one years ago when he first came to power, General Buhari vowed to restrict press freedom essentially because of the sensational reportage of the ill-founded allegation on a missing N2.8 billion from the accounts of the country while he was minister of petroleum under the Olusegun Obasanjo military regime.

However, 31 years on even with more hostile reports including allegations of falsification of educational reports, death wishes and other hate campaigns against him, President Buhari showed how age has matured him appealing for restraint from the media.

My appeal to the media today – and this includes the social media – is to exercise its considerable powers with responsibility and patriotism.

RESTRATEGISING   BOKO HARAM

An inaugural speech would not have been complete without reference to Boko Haram, the very issue that exposed the underbelly of the former president. Buhari immediately showed leadership yesterday when he ordered that the command and control centre of the anti-insurgency campaign should be transferred to Maiduguri, the base of the operations. In effect, the officers and those who direct the war must be at the centre of it. It would not be a war that would be fought from Abuja anymore!

Reassuring the Niger Delta  

The president also reassured the Niger Delta with his assertion that the Amnesty Programme and other entitlements conceived by the former administration would not be disrupted, but the Amnesty Programme would not be extended beyond the December end date.