The Yar’adua Presidency: Emerging profile
By
Jun 1, 2007, 16:43

Nigerians and the world at large are gradually coming to terms with the successful change of baton in Aso Rock. The new helmsman, His Excellency, Umar Musa Yar’adua is gradually asserting his peculiar style of governance after eight years of his predecessor’s momentous rule.

President Yar’adua revealed his vision and mission statement in a well-articulated seven-point inauguration agenda. He would devout his energies and policies toward charting a new course of accelerated development for Africa’s most populous country aiming to become one of the 20 largest economies in the year 2020.

His considered roadmap recaps the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians and forms the bedrock of what His Excellency gracefully situates as “My Compact with Nigerian Voters”. The highlights are:

• Rebuilding of social and economic infrastructures, including the country’s human capital
• Pursuing accelerated development through economic and other reforms
• Mass transportation, especially railroad development
• Dramatic improvement in the energy sector through a turnaround in the generation, transmission and distribution of power
• Respect for the rule of law
• Managing the festering Niger Delta crisis, and
• Review of the country’s electoral system

The “Yar’adua Manifesto” has convinced millions of Nigerians and skeptical foreigners that this change is real and not cosmetic, that this strategic nation, Africa’s economic, military, political, intellectual, cultural and diplomatic bastion is on the threshold of transformational renewal.

His Excellency also declared the notion of the “servant-leader”, a definitive change in attitudinal paradigm, a welcome new relation between the people and their leaders, which no doubt would win over to his side that section of the population, which considers humility and gracefulness the literal manifestation of Presidential power.

New Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, had while taking over from his own predecessor asserted that after eight years of reform, this was time for consolidation, to consummate the gains of restructuring and empowerment.

Change in the leadership of a nation can be the harbinger of regenerative energies as the old ways make way for the new and young people take advantage of new opportunities to chart new courses that transform a nation into greatness.

By Monday a stakeholders’ conference on the Niger delta crisis will be underway in Abuja, the first to be hosted by His Excellency. This signifies that he intends to match words with action. The new President has been consulting widely with major interest groups and prominent personalities with a view to seeking a common ground for consensus on the way forward.

The Yar’adua era therefore holds out promise for reconciliation, renewal, hope, positive change in leadership attitudes and values. And of course accelerated socio-economic development.

It is also a generational change achieved with remarkable gradualness.

Nigerians are optimistic that the next four years would usher in peace, prosperity, unity and security.

There is much reason to feel buoyant under Yar’adua administration.


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