A Fresh Start and a New Deal
- By Super Admin
- Published 06/7/2011
- Speeches
-
Rating:
Text of the Inaugural Address by His Excellency, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Executive Governor, Nasarawa State, Lafia: Sunday, 29th May, 2011.
BEFORE GOD AND BEFORE YOU ALL, I have just subscribed to the solemn oath of office as the third elected Governor of Nasarawa State. I am hugely humbled by the challenges before us, indebted to you for your support and trust, and conscious of the sacrifices you have made in the cause of our struggle for a new political order.
We welcome to our midst and honour, General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR (Rtd.) an illustrious Nigerian who embodies the spirit of service, and the quest for real change that this country so desperately needs.
He has inspired us all and helped to bring about the event we are gathered here to celebrate. A beacon of hope to millions, and a living testament to the finest Nigerian ideals. General Buhari's unique place in our history is assured.
The oath I have just taken marks a fresh start in the life of our State, which in the 14 years since its creation has been held hostage to the folly and excesses of its rulers. That we are in stagnation, even decline and decay is self-evident.
We are caught up in a grave moral and ethical crisis. Our State institutions are poorly managed, our infrastructures dilapidated, while our economy is weak - the result of myopia, greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also of our collective failure to demand better from our leaders.
Our men and women, especially the youth, are mostly jobless. Our healthcare is deficient, our education system is in dire need of reforms, and our lack of power and energy threatens our economic progress. Our confidence in our ability to change all this has given way to despair.
My fellow citizens, today I say to you that the hurdles before us are real, grave and numerous. I know, too, that you and others across the country rightly expect so much from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and I. Let it be clear though that there are so easy solutions or quick fixes. Nevertheless, I assure you we will overcome the challenges.
For CPC's ascendance represents, the triumph of principle over depravity, the triumph of change over reaction, the triumph of hope over despair. So on this day we are gathered here to give a decent burial to the politics of arrogance, pettiness, division and false promises that have plagued our body politic.
So the time has also come to reaffirm our faith in the democratic process; to strengthen our bond with ordinary people; to insist on the old decencies; and give free reign to that noble idea that we are all equal, free and entitled to our fair share of opportunities and respect.
In our quest for prosperity and freedom, it should be understood that these must be laboured for with resolve and diligence. They will not come to us if we choose the easy way out, if we settle for the life of the indolent or seek only the delights of easy riches and glory.
Our choice, and the only choice, is the path of struggle, hardwork and risk-taking, as well as openness to new ideas.
In order for us to be free and be where we are today, our forebears travelled the globe, fought and died in foreign wars, brought back new ideas, resisted colonial rule and laid the foundation of the modern State.
Ordinary people up and down the country not only toiled in sweatshops, jungles and under scorching sun to till the land, but also struggled and sacrificed so that we might have a better life.
Here in Nasarawa State, it is this tradition of struggle and striving, combined especially with the courage and sacrifices of our disaffected young men and women that have made possible the new political order which we are gathered here to celebrate.
So, on this day, I say to you that we have not only a historic opportunity but also a duty to address the many problems that beset our people.
Starting from here, we must pull ourselves together and begin anew the task of remarking Nasarawa State.
There is a lot of work to be done, I know.
The state of our economy and infrastructures calls for prompt and creative action. We will seek to stimulate the economy for long-term growth, impart our young men and women with skills, and create opportunities for self-employment.
We will undertake road building inside and outside our towns and villages, and improve our energy capabilities to meet our power needs.
We will harness the soil, the sun and our water resources to run our economy, as well as let clean water flow in order to nourish and clean frail bodies and keep our environment clean, safe and beautiful.
To our farmers, we will work with you to make your farms flourish year after year, and help to get your produce to the markets.
We will restore education, particularly science, to its rightful place, and transform our institutions of learning to meet the standards of the time. In particular, we will ensure that the benefits of information technology penetrate the State inside and outside our places of learning.
Our healthcare delivery has to be improved, with its reach expanded to all of our people, and at affordable cost into the bargain.
We will foster a modern, educated enterprise society so as to help people help themselves, and cast off the chains of poverty. We will measure our economic success not just by the size of our gross domestic product, but by our ability to spread prosperity to every person able and willing to work.
For ours is a peaceful revolution of opportunity and hope, anchored on a vision of a just and decent society where the freedoms, aspirations and needs of the individual are balanced against the imperative needs and interests of society for cohesion, stability and security.
My fellow citizens, all this we can do. All this we must do.
I am only too aware that the pursuit of our agenda for change will be a complex and grueling endeavour. And I concede that those who insist that our State cannot afford too many big plans and hence question the scale of our ambitions have a point.
But, then, what these cynics and adversaries fail to realize is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that their own failures stem not from lack of resources per se but from a failure of will and imagination which, when joined to common purpose as well as honest intent and courage, can result in the most remarkable of changes.
It is in part for these reasons that our CPC Government will be an accountable and corrective one. We will insist that those of us who are entrusted with power and public funds will be required to spend prudently, change bad habits, conduct affairs openly, and be held to account, as only then can we hope to restore integrity, trust and faith to governance in Nasarawa State.
As the 'permanent government', the Civil Service is critical to the success or failure of any administration. We will always preserve, protect and review its conditions of service and rewards system, and also equip it with the skills and tools to perform its functions. In return, we demand of it nothing short of efficient, courteous, selfless and exemplary service in strict compliance with Civil Service ethos.
Our recent experience with labour generally has not been a happy one. This cannot be allowed to persist. The new Government provides an opportunity for constructive engagement. So it I with delight and gratitude that I welcome the return of our medical doctors back to work after a prolonged and bitter strike. I urge our striking academic union to follow suit in the name of God and country.
Let me seize this occasion to congratulate the newly elected members of our House of Assembly. As we ponder the road that unfolds before us, let us resolve firmly and irrevocably to work together for the sake and greater good of our State.
We shall not always expect you to support our views, but we shall always expect you to support what is right. To those of you who may opt for conflict over co-operation, know that our people will judge you by your contributions to their wellbeing and security, not by your pursuit of party political advantage.
To those who, through deceit and mischief, may seek to corrupt our politics for their personal ambitions, I say you are on the wrong side of history. Our humility and civility should not be mistaken for weakness or lack of resolve.
To our traditional rulers, we pledge continued respect and support to enable them perform their customary functions. As custodians of our traditions, they have a duty to act in the best interest of all. however, in order not to fall into disrepute, they themselves must steer clear of partisan politics.
To the President and the Federal State, we pledge our best efforts to work agreeably and tirelessly in the interest of our people and the Nigerian federation. Bound by unity of purpose, no less than by the obligations of our offices, there is very little we cannot do in co-operative and mutually beneficial endeavours.
Finally, let the word go forth from this gathering that the mantle of power has now passed to a new generation of our people, a charge which we regard as a call to bear the burden of a long titanic struggle, and one for which there can be no adequate reward other than in its fulfillment. So let it be said, when the modern history of our State comes to be written, that when we were tried and tested we were not found lacking in moral fibre, that we did not falter or even flinch; and that when finally we took our exit, we left Nasarawa State in a far better form and shape than we had found it, or than anyone had ever dared to imagine.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless Nasarawa State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- Mr. Deputy Governor;
- The Chief Judge;
- My Lords, Temporal and Spiritual;
- Your Royal Highnesses;
- Distinguished Guests;
- My fellow Nasarawa State citizens.
BEFORE GOD AND BEFORE YOU ALL, I have just subscribed to the solemn oath of office as the third elected Governor of Nasarawa State. I am hugely humbled by the challenges before us, indebted to you for your support and trust, and conscious of the sacrifices you have made in the cause of our struggle for a new political order.
We welcome to our midst and honour, General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR (Rtd.) an illustrious Nigerian who embodies the spirit of service, and the quest for real change that this country so desperately needs.
He has inspired us all and helped to bring about the event we are gathered here to celebrate. A beacon of hope to millions, and a living testament to the finest Nigerian ideals. General Buhari's unique place in our history is assured.
The oath I have just taken marks a fresh start in the life of our State, which in the 14 years since its creation has been held hostage to the folly and excesses of its rulers. That we are in stagnation, even decline and decay is self-evident.
We are caught up in a grave moral and ethical crisis. Our State institutions are poorly managed, our infrastructures dilapidated, while our economy is weak - the result of myopia, greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also of our collective failure to demand better from our leaders.
Our men and women, especially the youth, are mostly jobless. Our healthcare is deficient, our education system is in dire need of reforms, and our lack of power and energy threatens our economic progress. Our confidence in our ability to change all this has given way to despair.
My fellow citizens, today I say to you that the hurdles before us are real, grave and numerous. I know, too, that you and others across the country rightly expect so much from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and I. Let it be clear though that there are so easy solutions or quick fixes. Nevertheless, I assure you we will overcome the challenges.
For CPC's ascendance represents, the triumph of principle over depravity, the triumph of change over reaction, the triumph of hope over despair. So on this day we are gathered here to give a decent burial to the politics of arrogance, pettiness, division and false promises that have plagued our body politic.
So the time has also come to reaffirm our faith in the democratic process; to strengthen our bond with ordinary people; to insist on the old decencies; and give free reign to that noble idea that we are all equal, free and entitled to our fair share of opportunities and respect.
In our quest for prosperity and freedom, it should be understood that these must be laboured for with resolve and diligence. They will not come to us if we choose the easy way out, if we settle for the life of the indolent or seek only the delights of easy riches and glory.
Our choice, and the only choice, is the path of struggle, hardwork and risk-taking, as well as openness to new ideas.
In order for us to be free and be where we are today, our forebears travelled the globe, fought and died in foreign wars, brought back new ideas, resisted colonial rule and laid the foundation of the modern State.
Ordinary people up and down the country not only toiled in sweatshops, jungles and under scorching sun to till the land, but also struggled and sacrificed so that we might have a better life.
Here in Nasarawa State, it is this tradition of struggle and striving, combined especially with the courage and sacrifices of our disaffected young men and women that have made possible the new political order which we are gathered here to celebrate.
So, on this day, I say to you that we have not only a historic opportunity but also a duty to address the many problems that beset our people.
Starting from here, we must pull ourselves together and begin anew the task of remarking Nasarawa State.
There is a lot of work to be done, I know.
The state of our economy and infrastructures calls for prompt and creative action. We will seek to stimulate the economy for long-term growth, impart our young men and women with skills, and create opportunities for self-employment.
We will undertake road building inside and outside our towns and villages, and improve our energy capabilities to meet our power needs.
We will harness the soil, the sun and our water resources to run our economy, as well as let clean water flow in order to nourish and clean frail bodies and keep our environment clean, safe and beautiful.
To our farmers, we will work with you to make your farms flourish year after year, and help to get your produce to the markets.
We will restore education, particularly science, to its rightful place, and transform our institutions of learning to meet the standards of the time. In particular, we will ensure that the benefits of information technology penetrate the State inside and outside our places of learning.
Our healthcare delivery has to be improved, with its reach expanded to all of our people, and at affordable cost into the bargain.
We will foster a modern, educated enterprise society so as to help people help themselves, and cast off the chains of poverty. We will measure our economic success not just by the size of our gross domestic product, but by our ability to spread prosperity to every person able and willing to work.
For ours is a peaceful revolution of opportunity and hope, anchored on a vision of a just and decent society where the freedoms, aspirations and needs of the individual are balanced against the imperative needs and interests of society for cohesion, stability and security.
My fellow citizens, all this we can do. All this we must do.
I am only too aware that the pursuit of our agenda for change will be a complex and grueling endeavour. And I concede that those who insist that our State cannot afford too many big plans and hence question the scale of our ambitions have a point.
But, then, what these cynics and adversaries fail to realize is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that their own failures stem not from lack of resources per se but from a failure of will and imagination which, when joined to common purpose as well as honest intent and courage, can result in the most remarkable of changes.
It is in part for these reasons that our CPC Government will be an accountable and corrective one. We will insist that those of us who are entrusted with power and public funds will be required to spend prudently, change bad habits, conduct affairs openly, and be held to account, as only then can we hope to restore integrity, trust and faith to governance in Nasarawa State.
As the 'permanent government', the Civil Service is critical to the success or failure of any administration. We will always preserve, protect and review its conditions of service and rewards system, and also equip it with the skills and tools to perform its functions. In return, we demand of it nothing short of efficient, courteous, selfless and exemplary service in strict compliance with Civil Service ethos.
Our recent experience with labour generally has not been a happy one. This cannot be allowed to persist. The new Government provides an opportunity for constructive engagement. So it I with delight and gratitude that I welcome the return of our medical doctors back to work after a prolonged and bitter strike. I urge our striking academic union to follow suit in the name of God and country.
Let me seize this occasion to congratulate the newly elected members of our House of Assembly. As we ponder the road that unfolds before us, let us resolve firmly and irrevocably to work together for the sake and greater good of our State.
We shall not always expect you to support our views, but we shall always expect you to support what is right. To those of you who may opt for conflict over co-operation, know that our people will judge you by your contributions to their wellbeing and security, not by your pursuit of party political advantage.
To those who, through deceit and mischief, may seek to corrupt our politics for their personal ambitions, I say you are on the wrong side of history. Our humility and civility should not be mistaken for weakness or lack of resolve.
To our traditional rulers, we pledge continued respect and support to enable them perform their customary functions. As custodians of our traditions, they have a duty to act in the best interest of all. however, in order not to fall into disrepute, they themselves must steer clear of partisan politics.
To the President and the Federal State, we pledge our best efforts to work agreeably and tirelessly in the interest of our people and the Nigerian federation. Bound by unity of purpose, no less than by the obligations of our offices, there is very little we cannot do in co-operative and mutually beneficial endeavours.
Finally, let the word go forth from this gathering that the mantle of power has now passed to a new generation of our people, a charge which we regard as a call to bear the burden of a long titanic struggle, and one for which there can be no adequate reward other than in its fulfillment. So let it be said, when the modern history of our State comes to be written, that when we were tried and tested we were not found lacking in moral fibre, that we did not falter or even flinch; and that when finally we took our exit, we left Nasarawa State in a far better form and shape than we had found it, or than anyone had ever dared to imagine.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless Nasarawa State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Spread The Word
1 Response to "A Fresh Start and a New Deal" 
|
said this on 07 Jun 2011 6:45:11 PM MST
i work as a that work people
|
Author/Admin)