100 Days in Office: Keeping Faith with Democratic Principles
By
Sep 4, 2007, 14:50

There is a national mood that President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s brief stewardship has brought about a renewal of spirit and faith in the Nigerian project.
Many Nigerians are of the view that though much is still desired, the President’s first steps have inspired confidence, trust and belief.

In a nationwide television interview on Sunday, September 2 2007 to officially mark the first 100 days in office, the President gracefully acknowledged “the burden of leadership” he feels and his commitment to tackling Nigeria’s problems.

On assumption of office on May 29 2007, President Yar’adua had marshalled out a comprehensive 7-point agenda, which his administration prioritise.

Undoubtedly the popular consensus is that he has set out in the right way to tackling them. He has the trust and attention of most adult Nigerians. His carriage is humble, consultative and respectful of the laws of the land.

He has fulfilled his promise to lead by personal example, to be a servant-leader, and to be in the forefront in the war against corruption. This he did by coming forward to declare his personal assets as he had promised during the electioneering campaign. Although he was not under any constitutional obligation to do that, President Yar’adua made the sacrifice for the larger public interest and entrenchment of the philosophy of leadership by personal example.

Rule of law
The Administration has scored above average marks for its absolute and unconditional respect for the rule of law. Democracy is a system of government that thrives under strict application and obedience to legal principles and so by emphasizing the supremacy of the rule of law, President Yar’adua is deepening the democratic culture and helping those institutions that defend democratic values find their bearing.

Concurrently, he has shown remarkable inclination toward respect for the principle of separation of powers by respecting the boundaries of independence of the legislature and judiciary while working to synergize their collective output to enrich conflict resolution and good governance.

The President instructed the management of the Abuja Metropolitan Council to halt all arbitrary demolition of houses and quarters while ensuring that court orders are legally vacated before the bulldozers are called in. In the same vein he lent critical support to the Council by warning against distortion of the Abuja master Plan while supporting the Beautiful City’s bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The President ordered the relevant authorities to forthwith release the held Lagos State Council allocations as pronounced by the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment and promptly ordered the acting Inspector General of Police to effect the Supreme Court ruling which returned Mr Peter Obi as the democratically elected Governor of Anambra state until the expiration of his tenure in 2010. It was in pursuit of this principle and partly to respond to the immediate crisis facing tertiary education in the country with university teachers’ strike entering the sixth month that he ordered the reinstatement of the sacked University of Ilorin teachers, one of the conditions of the striking teachers.

The President does not interfere in the affairs of the National Assembly and has in the process earned the respect and rapport of national lawmakers. He did not as much as look in when the two chambers were electing their leaders. “What happens in the House of Representatives”, said Mr Olusegun Adeniyi, spokesman for the President, in response to suggestions that the Presidency may be interfering in the affairs of the House, “is not the pre-occupation of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua who respects the doctrine of separation of powers”.

The Yar’adua administration has also shown zero-tolerance towards corruption with former Governors arraigned in court for various charges. He pledged there would be no sacred cows and this too has come to pass.

Niger Delta: Compassion, decisive action
The President has also decisively intervened in the Niger Delta to the appreciation of most people. He wants to win the Niger Delta conflict through negotiation and representation. Soon after assuming office, he summoned a stakeholders’ meeting on the region and made clear his intentions to fast track remedial intervention and development initiatives meant at suppressing the ongoing violence there. He has called for a stakeholder review of the Niger Delta Development Master Plan with a view to scaling down the hurdles of its implementation.

Recently, the Vice President told a delegation from the Centre for Netherlands Nigeria relations that the Federal Government will continue to explore means of facilitating peace and development in the Niger Delta. The dispatch of security forces to ward off rival cult gangs whose violence threatened the peace of Port Harcourt has also earned points for the President.

Reform goes on
The President has also addressed the energy crisis squeezing the productive life out of the country. While the nation eagerly awaits the constitution of National Energy Council, the President has taken other decisive steps, including making high profile appointments to reflect the seriousness of the administration in tackling the crisis. Government is currently fashioning a comprehensive roadmap out of the energy crisis.

The Petroleum Resources sector is on the threshold of reform for more transparency. The Energy Ministry has been scrapped, to be replaced by the National Petroleum Directorate while the NNPC has been unbundled into five separate companies, to be completed in six months.
The President has never lost faith in the Reform Programme of his predecessor as the National Council on Privatisation has been reconstituted while the privatization programme itself remains on course.

In keeping with his promise, President Yar’adua has also decided to radically overhaul the national electoral system, which he has continually identified as flawed and requiring fixing. Last month he inaugurated a 22-member body charged with reviewing the system and suggesting ways of strengthening it and giving Nigerians credible elections. The body has as its chairman, a former Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Mohammed Uwais.
In appointing his cabinet, the president gave emphasis to professional qualification and competence while reflecting the nation’s federal character.

He has shown sensitivity to national economic sentiments and capacity for responsiveness as in the cases of upturning the hike in domestic fuel price and Value Added Tax, reversal of the sale of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, the order on EFCC and recently the planned re-denomination of the naira.

In discussing the new national mood, Nigerians are freely using sentences and phrases such as “A President whose words and actions inspire confidence”, “A listening leader”, “A compassionate President”, “He leads by example” etc.
At his inauguration President Yar’adua called on Nigerians to “…recapture the mood of optimism that defined us at the dawn of independence, that legendary can-do spirit that marked our Nigerianness”.
Through his pragmatic choice of words and deliberate actions, the President has set Nigerians on a happy trail.

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