President Yar’Adua reviews tenure, assures on happier times
By
May 30, 2008, 10:05

President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has assured of better times ahead as “exciting times await Nigerians”.

Reviewing the performance of his one year old administration on May 29 with a panel of journalists, President Yar’Adua said his focus on getting the polity to operate on wholesome rule of law has been highly successful. He observed that his experience had been one of challenges and hard work but promised to remain focused.

The President spoke extensively on critical issues of interest to Nigerians. Below are excerpts from the interview:

ON POLICY DIRECTION:
To lay a solid foundation and effect reforms to transform this country into an industrial giant. And they are quite challenging, which involves having a sustainable democratic culture anchored on credible elections and commitment to the rule of law and maintaining law and order. These are the platforms to building a developed nation. And without political stability, you can't have a developed nation."

ON THE POWER CRISIS IN THE COUNTRY:
"To declare an emergency is not as simple as just making a declaration for its own sake. It is having a programme and the benchmarks that would be achieved. And by the end of the emergency, this country would be self-sufficient in the power sector and the problems in the power sector would be solved once and for all.
"The emergency period will last up till when we produce 10,000 megawatts and have a distribution network that can efficiently distribute this. This will take us to 2011. By the end of 2009, we will have generation of 6,000 megawatts and have a transmission and distribution system with enough integrity to distribute this."
ON ANTI-CORRUPTION:
"The issue of corruption, we have been able to approach it from the right perspective as we have been able to face the reality on the ground very squarely. The EFCC, ICPC and other anti graft agencies have continued to function within the ambit of the law.

"Here accountability is the word before the act is committed. People confer on themselves authority that is more than what is conferred on them by our laws. But to me, discretionary powers and authority are out. They are the root causes of corruption".

ON PROBING HIS PREDECESSOR, PRESIDENT OBASANJO
"Frankly speaking, my predecessor met a nation almost on the point of collapse. And during his eight years (in power), he did his best. There could be lapses. But he has done his best, whether people like it or not. For over 30 years, the system had broken down completely. It was between May 29, 1999 and now that attempts are made for proper governance. What the National Assembly is doing, they have the power to do what they are doing. I am waiting for the outcome of their reports. I cannot contemplate what they are going to do. I am waiting just like you. All of us are waiting."


ON RESOLVING THE NIGER DELTA CRISIS
"The Federal Government will soon convene a summit of all stakeholders that will take proper look at the problem of the Niger Delta and we hope to use dialogue in discussing with the militants and other leaders of the region so as to achieve the ultimate goal of holding the summit which is to allow peace reign in the Niger Delta region.

"People miss the criminality in the Niger Delta. It has to be dealt with in the coming summit. People are stealing crude oil in the high seas. This can't help the Niger Delta. This criminal activity and bunkering has to be dealt with for the sake of the region."

ON THE XENOPHOBIC RIOTS THAT AFFECTED NIGERIANS IN SOUTH AFRICA
“Retaliation is not necessary, dialogue is the best approach”.

ON THE TRUE STATE OF HIS HEALTH
“I am human. I can fall sick. I can recover. I can die tomorrow. I can die next month. I can live to be 90... So there is nothing extraordinary about my being ill”

ON ALLEGED LOPSIDED APPOINTMENTS
"Appointments made so far are usually based on merit. Take for example the nine parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Information, only two are from the North while the other heads are from the South even at that those appointments were based purely on merit"

ON THE FUTURE
"Nigerians should be rest assured that this government is committed to their well being and should therefore look forward to very exciting time especially in the next 365 days.

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