CHALLENGE OF SERVICE IN CONSOLIDATION

President Obasanjo Declares for 2003 Elections

Abuja, 25 April, 2002

Fellow Nigerians, we owe gratitude to the Almighty for seeing us through so many years of the process of rebirth of democracy in our nation. His divine wisdom has piloted us through rough and hard times to this very day when we can proudly say we do have a nation with a present that we are proud of, and a future that we look forward to.

I thank all Nigerians who have been patient with us. I thank you all most profoundly for bearing with us, especially when the journey towards the rebirth of our freedoms has seemed to be exceedingly hazardous. I am indeed grateful for every contribution, no matter how small, whether spiritual, moral or material, whether directly or tacitly, that all Nigerians have made towards achieving the goals that we all share.

Fellow Nigerians, you would all be aware by now of the debate and speculations as to whether I should continue to make myself available for second term of service to our great nation. Almost three years ago when I took the oath of office, single or more terms never crossed my mind. I had a job to do, and I faced that job. However, soon after May 29 1999, the question of the amount of the time required for the rehabilitation and reconstruction work became a general concern that kept coming up in one form or another: by myself in prayer, by my friends who have shared with me the burden of leadership, and of course, my critics who have exercised their democratic rights to pass judgment on my leadership, favourably or otherwise. The pitch of speculation has continued to rise higher as my first term draws to a close.

Let me express my deep appreciation to all those, at home and abroad, who in the last few months have variously communicated to me their opinions and wishes on this matter. Whatever the form of these opinions, solicited or otherwise, critical or flattering, they are all expressions of profound concern for the democratic destiny of our nation, and therefore worth it each time.

I sincerely appreciate the views of those who have found imperfection in my leadership, and therefore think I should not run. I have never believed myself to be perfect, and it is helpful and instructive to have someone else point out one’s limitations. Each of us needs a strong sense of security to make us big enough to identify and admit our genuine mistakes, smart enough to learn and thereby gain from them, and strong enough to correct them.

I am, quite naturally, particularly grateful to those who have consistently expressed confidence in my leadership, and therefore are of the view that I should seek a second term. This is indeed very heartening, as I have always borne in mind the responsibility imposed on me by the Nigerian electorate, who overwhelmingly voted for me three years ago. At that time, I had asked my fellow countrymen and women to trust me. I had pledged my total service and my total commitment to them. I had promised to make a positive difference. I have also vowed not to care whose goat is gored in our efforts to make Nigeria great again.

I thank all those, who not only shared the vision with me, but have since perceived and appreciated the changes brought about through our modest efforts. Most of all, I thank them for urging me to continue.

Fellow Nigerians, I am aware that you are keenly expecting me to declare my intention for the future, as the election year 2003 approaches. I have, on my part, been thinking long and hard about which way to go. I have consulted widely with my family, with my friends, with my political associates, and with various leadership classes of our country.

I have weighed every piece of advice, appeal and caution very coolly, calmly and carefully. I have reflected. I have meditated. And I have prayed to God. As a result of these personal and deep reflections on the prevailing circumstances of our country and its future, so far as God gives me the inspiration and wisdom to seek to influence for good our future, I have decided that it is best that I make myself available as a Presidential candidate in the 2003 Elections.

By this declaration, I will naturally be seeking re-nomination as candidate of our great Party, the PDP, who together with me will be going to the electorate to seek a fresh mandate in 2003. Three years ago, Nigerians were sufficiently persuaded by the vision of the Party to vote for it, and make it not only the largest in Africa, but also the most successful party in any election in this country. In the last three years, while going through the learning curve associated with the rebirth of democracy, most of the elected officials of the PDP have aimed to work together, both in the Legislative and Executive arms of all levels of Government, to push the vision for which we campaigned in 1998.

I do not intend here to even attempt to answer the question sometimes asked of me: “What does Obasanjo want again”, implying that having served for a term, it is time for me to step down, so that someone else can also “enjoy” the Office of President. I shall ignore such questions, because they appear to insinuate that I wanted rewards that were personal by seeking the Office of President.

I know of one God-ordained sense of power, and it is to serve the people zealously and to please God. The issue for me has always been service to the country. In 1998, I declared that I was taking up the challenge of service, and in the last three years I have tried to give service with all the resources of intellect and body that Almighty God has given me. Service was my only purpose, service has remained my only purpose, and service is still my only purpose. Service to Nigeria, service to humankind, and service to God. And so this declaration expresses my own deep conviction that there is still a lot of work to do, and for this, I am still able and willing to offer my service.

Ladies and gentlemen, we were elected on the basis of a vision, and we have done our best to keep faith with that vision, and there is evidence that we have moved towards that vision. However, we are not there yet. I am hoping to seek the support of Nigerian voters for our brand of leadership to advance further towards that vision in the next four years, beginning from 2003, at the end of which we hope to have consolidated the gains, the orientation and the progress which we would proudly pass on as worthy legacies to succeeding generations of leadership, to build upon.

WHAT WE MET

Let us cast our minds back to the way things were when we came in, if only to be able to gauge how far we have advanced on the road to our vision. The Nigeria of May 1999, that we inherited, was a nation in despair, to say the least. After fifteen years of uninterrupted undemocratic rule, with attendant misgovernance and maladministration, virtually all our social institutions were in distress, with their purposes compromised all round. Our infrastructure were in ruins. Most public services had practically ceased to function, the few that managed to keep ticking were plagued with numerous ills. Insecurity, corruption, bureaucratic tardiness and pervasive indiscipline had taken over everywhere. Our social values had been eroded. Our own self-pride had diminished. And our image had so deteriorated that many Nigerians were strongly inclined to be ashamed to be identified with their own country.

We inherited a nation tormented by the spectre of ethnic militias apparently emboldened to divide the country because of perceived injustices. We met a nation of traumatised people who deeply distrusted and despised authority and leadership. In short, things had so fallen apart that the worst predictions were being made about our future, including the demise of the nation!

In answering the call to service, our assignment was based on the proposition that ultimately, only Nigerians can save Nigeria, and that there is only one country we can properly call our own. Apart from the possibility of acquiring citizenship through naturalisation, we do not have any choice in respect of the country of our birth, or the country of which we are citizens. We consequently have little choice but to accept the divine purpose that brought us to this space called Nigeria. And if God in His infinite wisdom destined us to be brothers and sisters, common sense, if not the instinct for survival, would seem to impose a historic and moral duty on us to make the best of our circumstances.

Such is the consciousness that fires a leadership that is worth its name. This was the spirit we carried into office on May 29, 1999, after you handed us the mandate to serve. We never had the illusion that we were headed for a cocktail party.

We know, now, that we had grossly underestimated the extent of the damage, the depth of the decay into which our nation had sunk. I have come to appreciate with greater clarity the views of many, concerned well-wishers and even detractors alike, who suggested to me that it is one thing to desire to save a situation, but that it is another matter altogether to prescribe a remedy that would be effective. I was constantly asked, “where would you begin?” But rather than retreat in self-defeat, I chose to accept the situation as a challenge. I have never once regretted that choice.

WHAT WE AIMED TO ACHIEVE

The task of reconstructing Nigeria would have been a lot easier if Nigeria were a mere mechanical contraption that could be put on a block, its useful parts salvaged, and its useless parts thrown away. But Nigeria happens to be a living, vital and dynamic entity. It has consequently been a formidable task to reconstruct what it took nearly two decades to destroy, and the challenge has been all-pervasive: economic, political, social, moral and cultural.

Our main strategy was to quickly take stock and move purposefully towards our goal of reviving the nation. We put Nigeria as the only item on the agenda of leadership, while we sought to meet as much as possible, the expectations of the electorate based mainly on our election promises. We saw that the system needed to be rationalised, and that the organisation of our society needed to be made wholesome.

Our primary objectives were simple and clear:

►          to restore the rule of law;

►          to institutionalise the principles of equality, justice and peaceful co-existence;

►          to enshrine an ethic of transparency, accountability, and responsibility in leadership; and

►          to install an efficient economic regime that would help reduce poverty and bring about a visible improvement in the quality of the lives of our citizens.

We have put in our best to ensure that all our policies have manifested these elements in one form or another. And to the best of my knowledge we have remained true and faithful to the direction which we set ourselves at the beginning. We have retained our vision, and we have been consistent in making sure that our vision remained the focus for all our thoughts and actions.

WHAT WE ACHIEVED

Opinions may differ as to the details and the extent of our achievements, but there have indeed been objectively measurable improvements in the last three years. Not least is the general feeling that things are getting better, for which there are visible indicators. Statistically, there are today, more cars plying our roads, our motor-parks are beehives of activity, more aircrafts land and take off from our airports, and our ports are busier. There are more jobs. The employed earn more, and living conditions continue to improve.

There is certainly much less despair in the air. Hope in a brighter future has been rekindled. There has been a quantum leap in the amount of faith Nigerians have in their country.

In specific terms, we can, without being immodest, claim to have changed things for the better in the following areas:

On The Economy

♦          We have rationalised and improved the management of the mainstay of our economy, the oil and gas sector, with positive results such as massive increase of investment in the sector, plus an end to the embarrassment and frustration of long queues at our petrol stations;             

♦          There has been a noticeable increase of interest in investing in Nigeria in the non-oil sector;

♦          We have markedly improved the conditions of service of the public sector employee; and

♦          The private sector is reporting significant increase in business activity and profits.

On Infrastructure

♦          We have pursued a vigorous policy of investment in our infrastructure, especially in road, energy and water supply, with results which are increasingly being felt by the general public in both urban and rural areas.

On Education and employment

♦          One of the commitments of our Party is to provide opportunity for the education of our citizens, especially the youth, in order to develop their innate abilities and potential to the optimum, and to empower all to take full part in the development of their country. This is why the first measure that our Government took after coming to office, was the introduction of the UBE.

♦          We have also put effort into stabilising our tertiary institutions

♦          to the extent that students are spending more time learning, rather than staying at home doing nothing. At the secondary level, there has been marked qualitative improvement in education.

Agriculture

 ♦          Agriculture and food production are key elements in the manifesto of PDP, and are of great personal interest to me. We have developed a new agricultural policy that will ensure food security for this nation, through increased crop production, improved livestock husbandry, and through new marketing strategies which will ensure better prices for the farmer. We have embarked on a number of specific areas of intervention in agricultural production, from land and water management to buyer of last resort.

 ♦          Agricultural production for last year has increased by 5.9 per cent over the previous year. We intend to sustain this level of production.

On Good governance -We observe that:

♦          For so many years, Nigeria was governed more through the instruments of intimidation and coercion, than through participation and adherence to the rule of law. We have changed all that. And Nigerians are relishing it!.

♦          Today there are no political prisoners in Nigeria;

♦          Today, our media is as free as can possibly be;

♦          Today, our courts are free and independent enough to deliver judgements that are respected both at home and abroad. There can be no better testimony to this assertion than the most recent judgements delivered by our Supreme Court on very fundamental issues which determine for good, the very existence and survival of our country;

♦          We note also with considerable satisfaction, the public enthusiasm that greeted the proceedings of the Oputa Panel of Inquiry into Human Rights Abuses, a measure which was primarily intended to commence the healing process for traumatised and brutalised Nigerians;

♦          The democratic process which commenced with the transition on May 29, 1999, has more than survived, with our democratic institutions maturing at various stages of development. The Executive, in particular, with its regular Council meetings, has demonstrated the merits of collective and transparent decision-making as vital to good governance.

Nigeria’s International image

♦          At the inception of our Administration, the image of our country could hardly be worse. Today, however, we have resumed our traditional place of honour in the international arena. Our counsel is now highly regarded by the rest of the world. Even, The Economist of London, which hardly ever has anything good to say about Nigeria, now is of the opinion that Nigeria “is taken most seriously abroad”. Nigerians abroad no longer feel ashamed of their country, and are increasingly offering their services to help in our quest for development. We have hosted many world Summits here in Abuja, and will be hosting both the All African Games and the Meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government in the year 2003.

On Anti-corruption crusade - We note how much

♦          there is high public expectation to see corrupt officials prosecuted and, if found guilty, jailed. The Anti-Corruption Commission is still working to consolidate its structures. But we do recognise that it would be counter productive if the Commission were to indulge in commencing prosecutions in the Courts without having conducted exhaustive investigations. And besides this, the Commission is now facing unexpected constraints arising from as yet undisposed applications to the Courts questioning the constitutionality of the Commission. There are other reforms to eliminate corruption from the public sector.

♦          We have managed to recover huge amounts of public fund that had been stolen and starched away.

♦          Besides, there have been some sixteen cases of people being prosecuted for corruption in the last two years, compared with none in the twenty years between 1979 and 1999. Although we are not there yet, but there is no doubt that the process of sanitising the society has begun in earnest.

LOOKING AHEAD

The task of nation building is never completed. It is continuous and perpetual. Thus, our Administration can only perform such tasks in this regard as fall upon us at this moment in our history. After nearly three years in office, we recognise, in all humility, that we still have to put in more effort in order to achieve our ultimate goals. There are still many aspects of our material conditions that require careful attention:

►          We have to construct more new roads and mend more old ones;

►          Our hospitals and healthcare delivery need more improvement to stop preventable deaths and raise the national average of life expectancy;

►          Our educational institutions are not yet fully operational, quantitatively and qualitatively, definitely not to my satisfaction nor for the full educational needs of our society;

►          We are far from attaining the level of food security when we can comfortably claim that the average Nigerian is eating enough balanced diet because there is enough food available at affordable prices;

►          The national economy, particularly the productive sector, is still performing well below the potential of what is possible through effective management of our natural resources; and

►          Sadly, poverty is still endemic in our society.

There are policies in place for administratively tackling these issues of material well-being of Nigerians. The existing policies need fine-tuning and new ones need to be formulated to advance the prosperity of the nation.

But many of these policies are not likely to achieve good results, and if they do, Nigerians cannot enjoy them, if we do not re-orientate our attitudes in our responsibilities as members of our communities and citizens of a socially cohesive and organised Nigeria. Physical and material provisions are a means to enjoying life in a decent and orderly society. It is our attitudes that determine the quality and effectiveness of the structural content of our social organisation.

The supreme law for the organisation of our society in Nigeria remains the constitution of the Federal Republic. It is not a perfect document, and we have embarked on rectifying some of its more obvious inadequacies. But the most perfect constitution can never in itself bring the peace and harmony we so much desire, if it is not underscored by a general spirit of commitment to the rule of law.

Thus, we note with serious concern, the fact that far too many Nigerians put themselves first before the common good. Far too many amongst us still apply the extremely selfish criterion of ‘What is in it for me?’, to determine their choice of action when their sense of duty and service is called upon. The consequences of these are far reaching, and lead to such negative social tendencies as corruptibility, ethnicity, lack of patriotism, lawlessness, inefficiency, diminished sense of justice, and lack of dignity and mutual respect for fellow citizens.

It is imperative that we cultivate and imbibe the correct societal attitudes before we can seriously envisage success of our efforts at building a strong, united, just and viable nation. All our developmental efforts need to be fully supported by the appropriate sense of service, before we can begin to harvest in full, the benefit of democracy as the most durable base for organising our society on an equitable and just basis. Re-orientation is essential for enhancing the social capital that must complement the material input into our policies, if they are to be successful.

There is an urgent need to change the orientation and attitude of most Nigerians from selfishness to selflessness, from greed to caring and sharing, from hatred to love, from indolence to industry and hard work, from bigotry to mutual tolerance, from corruption, decay and non-accountability to probity, integrity, honesty and transparency.

For action in the immediate future:

►          we propose to vastly improve on the quality of our public services;

►          we are determined to ensure that Nigerians feel a greater sense of security in themselves and in their property;

►          we intend to ensure that all Nigerians feel at home in any part of our country, without regard to their ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or political persuasion.

PARTY POLITICS

Democracy is about freedom, including the freedom of political choice. This freedom, ideally, is often exercised through participation in a political party of one’s choice. It is within the party system that viable political visions are conceived and propagated. A democratic dispensation needs, as its engine, properly organised and disciplined political parties. Our Constitution recognises political parties as the only instruments through which citizens may vote or be voted for. It does not permit independent candidacies in elections. Political parties are usually formed by people who share the same views about how society should be organised. But unfortunately, our parties for now appear to be congregations of persons who are exclusively concerned with achieving electoral victory, almost exclusively for the purpose of personal aggrandisement and with little regard for public service. Quite often, therefore, internal conflicts abound, and indiscipline is pervasive, with all the adverse effects it has on the general political well-being of the country.

We salute the ordinary Nigerians for their patience with the learning process in governance within the brief but eventful period since the transition. Let us now grant these Nigerians the right to expect that the leadership of our political parties should, by now, have gained sufficient experience to be alert - and to avert - the imminent dangers, if parties and their members continue to lack discipline, unity, decent political behaviour and respect for political and government leadership. So far, the parties have not convincingly shown that they are equipped to perform a much needed role, namely, to restore sanity to our society!.

It is imperative that the parties begin now to reform themselves, in order to avoid the potential dangers that we all face when the next elections come. Many observers, basing their pessimism on our previous electoral history, are already predicting violence and general chaos, with the ugly prospect of the democratic process being derailed. We cannot afford such retrogression again.

The general apprehension is because of the high record of failure with most previous civilian-to-civilian electoral transitions. We have witnessed that it is at this point of transition that our electoral processes are tested to the limit. This is the moment where our spirit of contest and fair play is brought to the fore, as we face the reality of the fact that in any election, there are bound to be losers, and there can only be one winner at any given moment. Any attempt to win at all costs and by all means can only lead to disaster. We must never allow ourselves the use of such provocative language as “We will match thuggery for thuggery. We will match rigging for rigging”. We must never try to bend the rules, if we resort to such dishonourable tactics, the process would no longer be free and fair, and the results would neither be respected nor accepted here at home or abroad.

Let us never forget that democracy is also about persuasion, and you can only persuade on the basis of good argument, and a good argument is about issues. It is most unfortunate that our politics, as at present, is short on argument and is excessively long on posturing and coercing with either inducements or violence. We must, in the name of democratic ideals, and in the interest of our corporate existence, begin to improve our arguments. Anything else is deceitful and tantamount to insulting the intelligence of the electorate. And anyone who aspires to leadership role must never do that. We must learn to believe in the judgement of the electorate. It is only then that we can expect them to believe, respect, and trust our leadership.

It has been rumoured that the Presidency has a hit list of currently elected officials whose electoral prospects I am supposed to be planning to interfere with. There is no truth whatsoever in this. Nor do I have favorites among elected officials. My only favorites will be those men and women who have been freely and fairly elected by their political parties at the grassroots, and subsequently elected by their various constituencies. Such men and women would have democratically earned their leadership role in this country. And I will be glad to work with such men and women, for the survival of a Nigeria that is united, powerful, democratic, progressive, prosperous and respected by her citizens at home, as well as by people globally.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my fundamental commitment is to help to bring about a revolution of ideals in Nigeria, ideals that are ethical moral and social. I am fully committed to moving Nigeria, steadily but totally away from the fate of a nation bereft of ideals, a society deficient in enduring moral and social values, and communities lacking soul and spiritual underpinning. At the same time I will continue to work to increase our self-confidence, self-reliance, self-sufficiency, self-pride, self-worth and sense of dignity. To move the nation forward, we must collectively as well as individually abandon the culture of ‘what we can get’ for the culture of ‘what we can give’. From what we have done and achieved so far, I see hope.

Fellow Nigerians, I have absolutely no intention to impose myself on this country. When it was fashionable, and I was in a position to do so, I did not. While seeking the mandate to offer my service to the nation, I fully recognise the right of any qualified Nigerian to do the same. I will only fight a clean electoral battle, and if God wills it, and the Nigerian people choose me, I will be honoured and proud to use every ounce of my energy and personal resources to serve our fatherland. But whatever may be the outcome of a clean electoral battle, for as long as I live in good health, in formal public office or out of it, I will serve my Party, our nation, and my God.

I thank you all.