Why Presidential Inauguration is Important to Nigeria

What is Presidential Inauguration?

A presidential inauguration is a ceremonial event that marks the formal beginning of a new presidential term. It is the official process by which a newly elected or re-elected president is sworn into office and assumes the responsibilities and powers of the highest office in the country; just like the Presidential inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
 
The presidential inauguration typically takes place in a public ceremony, attended by government officials, dignitaries, members of the public, and the media. It is often held at a designated location, such as the Capitol building or a public square, and is a highly anticipated and widely watched event.
 

These are the key elements of a presidential inauguration ceremony:

1. Swearing-In: The president-elect takes the oath of office, administered by a specified individual, most commonly the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The oath typically includes a pledge to uphold and defend the constitution and to faithfully execute the duties of the presidency.
2. Inaugural Address: The newly sworn-in president delivers an inaugural address, which is a speech that outlines their vision, priorities, and goals for their term in office. It often covers key policy areas, addresses the nation's challenges, and sets the tone for the new administration.
3. Symbolic Activities: Various symbolic activities may take place during the inauguration, such as the passing of the presidential seal, the presentation of gifts or mementos, and the playing of the national anthem. These activities contribute to the ceremonial nature of the event and hold significant historical and cultural importance.
4. Celebratory Events: In addition to the main inauguration ceremony, there are often other events and activities associated with the occasion. These can include parades, concerts, inaugural balls, and other festivities, which provide opportunities for the public to celebrate and engage with the new president.

Photo: Buhari during his Presidential Inauguration in 2015 at Eagles Square, Abuja. | Image credit: Getty Images

The presidential inauguration is an important moment in a country's political life, as it represents the peaceful transfer of power and the democratic principles upon which the government is built. It signifies the beginning of a new chapter in the nation's history and sets the stage for the president's term in office.

Here are reasons why the presidential inauguration ceremony is important for Nigeria:

• Democratic Transition: The inauguration ceremony marks the peaceful transfer of power from one president to another, reflecting the democratic principles upon which Nigeria's government is built. It is a symbol of stability and continuity in governance, reinforcing the country's commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
• National Unity: The inauguration ceremony serves as a unifying event for the Nigerian people. It brings together citizens from diverse backgrounds, regions, and ethnicities to witness the swearing-in of their elected leader. It fosters a sense of national identity, highlighting the shared aspirations and common goals of the Nigerian nation.
• Legitimacy and Mandate: The inauguration ceremony provides a platform for the incoming president to take the oath of office, affirming their commitment to upholding the constitution and serving the people of Nigeria. It bestows legitimacy upon the elected leader, signaling to both the domestic and international communities that they have a mandate to govern and make decisions on behalf of the nation.
• Policy Agenda and Vision: The inauguration ceremony often includes the president's inaugural address, which outlines their policy agenda and vision for the nation. It is an opportunity for the president to articulate their priorities, goals, and plans for addressing key issues such as security, the economy, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. The speech sets the tone for the president's term and provides a roadmap for their administration's actions.
• International Relations: The presidential inauguration ceremony attracts significant attention from the international community. It serves as a platform for diplomatic engagements, as foreign dignitaries, representatives, and heads of state from other countries attend the ceremony. This provides an opportunity for Nigeria to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relationships, foster cooperation, and showcase its political stability and commitment to democratic values.

In summary, the presidential inauguration ceremony is important for Nigeria as it signifies the peaceful transfer of power, promotes national unity, establishes the legitimacy of the elected president, outlines the policy agenda, and enhances Nigeria's international standing.
 

Cash Scarcity: Buhari Would Have Obeyed Court Order - Gbajabiamila

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has described the pronouncement by President Muhammadu Buhari on the naira policy as “disregard” of rule of law because it is short of the order of the Supreme Court.

Mr Gbajabiamila said this on Thursday in a statement by his spokesperson, Lanre Lasisi.

On Thursday morning, President Buhari, in a nationwide broadcast, said he had instructed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to reintroduce the old N200 note until 10 April, while the old N1,000 and N500 had stopped being legal tender.

The Supreme Court had in an interim order on 8 February ordered the central bank to suspend the 10 February deadline on the currency, but the CBN disregarded the order and insisted on the deadline.

In the statement, Mr Gbajabiamila said the extension of the legal status of the N200 note is a step in the right direction, and he hopes it helps curb Nigerians’ suffering. He, however, noted that it is short of the directive of the Supreme Court.

He noted that the federal government could not afford situations that “suggest a wanton disregard for the rule of law.”

Buhari Asks Nigerians To Give Him 7 Days To Resolve Naira Notes Scarcity

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerians to give him seven days to resolve the crisis caused by the scarcity of new naira notes.

The president said he has seen reports about cash shortages and the effect on local businesses and ordinary people.

He added that the remaining seven days of the 10-day extension will be used to crack down on the encumbrances mitigating the successful implementation of the currency redesign policy.

“I will revert to the CBN and the Minting Company. There will be a decision one way or the other in the remaining seven days of the 10-day extension,” the president said on Friday.

His position was made known after meeting with governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

$3 billion Monthly Under Jonathan, NNPC Now Remits Zero Dollar To CBN - Emefiele

Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s governor, stated over the weekend that the official foreign exchange receipt from crude oil sales into Nigeria’s official reserves has depleted from over $3.0 billion monthly in 2014 to zero dollar today.

At the 57th annual bankers’ lecture sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos on Saturday, Mr Emefiele said there was a significant loss in foreign reserves due to the naira’s struggle and the rise in demand for forex.

The governor stated that a severe crisis in the Nigerian foreign exchange market is putting pressure on the country’s reserves and suppressing the value of the naira.

“The official foreign exchange receipt from crude oil sales into our official reserves has dried up steadily from above $3.0 billion monthly in 2014 to an absolute zero dollar today,” he said.

Nigeria Governors’ Forum Reject Sale Of 10 Power Plants, Sue Buhari's Govt

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has rejected the sale of 10 power plants and headed to court to stop the move of privatisation of the plants by the Federal Government.

The NGF disclosed that its lawyers have moved to prevent the regime of the President Muhammamadu Buhari from selling those power plants which are under the National Integrated Power Projects.

The Niger Delta Power Holding Company, which is owned by the federal, state, and local government councils, is a power generation and distribution company that oversees the implementation of the NIPPs.

The 36 state governors through their chairman, Governor Aminu Tambuwal -  Sokoto State Governor released a statement on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, after a teleconference meeting held on Tuesday to express their displeasure over the FG’s move.

The statement partly read, “The Forum, following its advocacy that the proposed privatisation of 10 National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs) by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) should be stopped, instructed its lawyers to approach the Federal High Court which, at present has issued a court order restraining all the parties in the suit from taking any step or action that will make or render the outcome of the motion on notice seeking for interlocutory injunction nugatory.

Yoruba Youth Council Urges Buhari To Probe EFCC Activities

The Yoruba Youth Council has condemned alleged discriminatory manner the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been prosecuting some eminent Nigerians without turning the anti-corruption searchlight on those close to the ruling government.

In a statement by its National President, Eric Oluwole, the group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Commission’s Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, to order in view of his alleged repeated brazen contempt of court and over-zealousness as regards deploying instruments of state to victimise highly-placed and respectable Nigerians.

According to the Council, President Buhari’s intervention is necessary against the backdrop of another allegation trending in some online media that Bawa had failed to investigate a pending allegation of diversion of funds against the director-general of a federal agency because three of the EFCC chairman’s siblings were enjoying ‘scholarships’ from the DG that ought to have been investigated over alleged shady deals, ranging from blatant corruption and diversion of public funds to abuse of office.

At a media briefing organised by the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA) and Civil Society Partners, the Executive Director of CPA, Olufemi Lawson, reportedly called on Buhari to step into the matter and direct the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to take over the case to get to the root of the matter.

According to him, CPA was surprised that the said DG openly challenged the EFCC to investigate him and make public its findings, adding that after over a year, no action has been taken by the EFCC on the matter.

Lawson also disclosed that it was during the waiting period that the coalition stumbled on the possible reasons the allegations against the DG may have been swept under the carpet by the EFCC.

Besides, he said that some cases of alleged corruption that should have been concluded by the EFCC still remain inconclusive.

The civil society body also reportedly called on the National Assembly, especially the Senate, to ask the EFCC chairman to step aside, while a thorough investigation is carried out to unravel the mystery behind the ‘scholarships’ given to his siblings by the DG of this federal agency.

It urged President Buhari to order the ICPC to take over and commence an investigation into the alleged corruption leveled against the said director-general of the federal agency.

Naira Redesign Won't Allow Politicians To Sponsor Thugs – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says there is no going back on the planned redesign of the N1,000, N500 and N200 bank notes, adding that politicians won’t be allowed to mobilise resources and thugs to intimidate voters in the 2023 general elections.

Buhari made this known on Wednesday in an interview in the United Kingdom after meeting with His Royal Majesty, King Charles III in Buckingham Palace.

President Buhari With UK Monarch- King Charles III

During the visit, President Buhari said he told King Charles III he has no house in the UK.

Buhari also said enough time has been given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for Nigerians to deposit the present naira notes at banks in exchange for the newly redesigned ones which will be issued by December 15, 2022.

“On this change of currency, there will be a lot of money but time has been given from October to December, three months is enough for whatever money you have, to get it changed through the legal system.

“So, I don’t know why people are complaining about it,” the President said.

Just In: Petrol Can't Sell Lower Than N510 - NNPC

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has revealed that premium motor spirit (petrol) cannot sell lower than N510 per litre as the President Muhammadu Buhari regime gears towards the phase-out of the fuel subsidy era.

Mele Kyari, the group’s managing director, said that the NNPC could no longer keep up with the N170 per litre pump price of fuel. This was made known while addressing at the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Summit organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption in Abuja on Wednesday.

Exploration Of Nuclear Energy To Generate Electricity Has Been actuated, Says Buhari

 

President Mohammadu Buhari has asserted that Nigeria is exploring nuclear energy to generate electricity.

He also expressed unwavering commitment of his administration to energy mix through acquisition of nuclear power.

The President has spoke at the just concluded International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century held in Washington DC.

According to him, the Federal Government has actuate the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission, NAEC, as the national focal agency charged with the responsibility of developing the framework and technical pathway to explore, exploit and harness atomic energy for peaceful applications for the socio-economic development of the country.

He said, Nigeria also had established the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority as an independent agency of government to ensure the safety of humans and the protection of the environment in the process of developing, deploying and use of nuclear power.

Buhari, who spoke through the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Sen. Adeleke Mamora, said like most other nations on the continent, Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million people, had a serious energy supply deficit, making it compelling for the government to critically look towards other energy options that were affordable, more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Consequently, he disclosed that Nigeria had taken a decision to fully explore and harness nuclear energy resources for the generation of electricity, which would contribute to the country’s energy security through an appropriate energy mix.

IPOB Protests Non-release Of Kanu, Threatens Election Boycott

Members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB on Friday protested in Aba, Abia State over the non-release of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal Government.

The protesters vowed not to allow the 2023 election hold in the South East if their leader was not released and Biafra granted to them.

They urged Nigeria to forget 2023 election in South East “if our leader, Nnamdi Kanu, is still in DSS custody”.

The protest which was held in Abia South local government areas was peaceful, non-violent and was monitored by security agencies.

The protesters warned that they would be forced to not only shutdown the economy of the state and South East, but the entire country until their leader was released from the detention.

“Some of the courts asked that they should take our leader back to Kenya where they illegally abducted him from.

“This is part of our renewed warning signal to the federal government that they should forget 2023 elections in the southeast if they continue to detain Nnamdi Kanu”, the protesters said.

Salary - ASUU Vows To Withhold Students’ Results

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Gombe State University chapter, has said it will withhold the examination results of students and will discontinue the supervision of undergraduates and postgraduates projects should the government fail to release the withheld salaries for members of the union for the period while they were on strike.

The union made this known in a statement made available to our correspondent on Thursday.

The statement, which was signed by the branch chairman, Suleiman Jauro, read partly, “The Congress of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Gombe State University branch, at its meeting held today, Wednesday 2nd November 2022, received the report of the engagements between the branch’s leadership and the University administration over the release of the withheld salaries.

“After exhaustive deliberations, the Congress therefore, resolved that given the University administration’s refusal to release the August and September salaries, members shall not submit the results of the first Semester examination for the 2021/2022 session; Not continue with the supervision of both undergraduate and postgraduate projects allocated prior to the commencement of the strike action.”

Budget Cut For Information Ministry Will Affect Our Performance – Minister, Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture,  Lia Mohammed lamented that the N1.072 billion capital expenditure allocated to his ministry in the 2023 budget was not enough.

Mohammed said it will affect how the ministry will inform Nigerians and the world about the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The minister said this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Information on Tuesday to defend his ministry’s 2023 budget.

Mohammed lamented that the N1.072 billion capital expenditure allocated to his ministry in the 2022 budget was not enough, stressing that the ministry will face more challenges as the 2022 budget has been slashed to N345.64 million in the 2023 budget proposal.

Cooking Gas Price Inflates By 61%

The price of 12.5kg of cooking gas rose by 61% from N6,165 in September 2021 to N9,906 in September 2022.

This was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics in it's report on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (cooking gas) Price Watch for September 2022.

In it's state profile analysis, the bureau stated that Cross River recorded the highest average retail price for the refilling of a 12.5kg cylinder of the product with N10,937, followed by Kogi with N10,760 and Oyo with N10,724.

Conversely, the lowest average price was recorded in Yobe with N8,350, followed by Katsina and Taraba with N8,545 and N9,026 respectively.

Zone analysis showed that the South-West recorded the highest average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder with N10,320, followed by the South-South with N10,202, while the North-East recorded the lowest price with N9,300

NAF To Take Delivery Of 55 Fighter Helicopters In December

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao, has said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is expected to take delivery of 55 fighter helicopters by December 2022.

Amao disclosed this on Thursday, during the two-day Force operation seminar in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.

He listed the new aircraft to in­clude two Agusta 109 Trekker multi-role helicopters, two Beechcraft King Air 360 and four Diamond DA-62 sur­veillance aircraft.

Others include three Wing Loong II UCAVs, six T-129 ATAK helicopters, two CASA-295 medium airlift/ surveillance aircraft, 12 AH- 1Z attack helicopters and 24 M-346 attack aircraft.

According to the NAF chief, other new acquisitions would be delivered in 2023 as the expected helicopters would add to the 38 fighter aircraft previously acquired by the Pres­ident, Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

Revealed: How Nigeria Loses Three Million Oil Barrels Monthly – FG

The Federal Government on Monday revealed that its latest findings showed that about 1.2 million barrels of crude oil was consistently shut in by producers across various oil wells in the Niger Delta due to the incessant oil theft in the industry.

It also stated that current statistics showed that the volume of oil lost to theft in Nigeria was about 100,000 barrels per day, translating to an estimated three million rbarrels every month.

The government disclosed this through its Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission at the press briefing in Abuja, as it further stated that the country’s gas reserves had risen to 208 trillion standard cubic feet.

“One of the negative and side effects of crude oil theft is that it has incentivised well shut-ins by producers, in the sense that it is not part of their investment model to produce and hand over to thieves,” the Chief Executive, NUPRC, Gbenga Komolafe, stated.

Produce Flood-Prevention Plan Within 90 Days, Buhari Directs Water Minister

Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has given the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, 90 days to develop a comprehensive plan of action for the prevention of flood disaster in Nigeria.

Recall that some of the cities in Nigeria are currently facing the harsh condition of Flooding; which has left many lives lost and properties destroyed.

The President’s directive was conveyed to the minister in a letter signed by his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, according to a statement on Monday by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu.

According to the statement, Buhari ordered the minister to coordinate with the ministries of environment and transportation as well as state governments to develop the plan.

Shehu also Buhari is “regularly receiving updates on the flooding situation in the country and restates his commitment towards addressing the challenges caused by the disaster in the country”.

How Buhari Borrowed Nigeria Into Bondage – Kenneth Okonkwo Reveals

Nollywood actor and spokesman for the Labour Party presidential campaign, Kenneth Okonkwo, has expressed concern over the level of borrowing the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government gave way to.

Okonkwo made the remarks on Monday, during an interview on National TV Show.

Okonkwo who announced his exit from APC in July said, “I’ve already ruled out the failures of APC so I rejected APC when I was in APC. I never agreed to pay their nomination fee because I believed that it was a result of corrupt tendencies.

“For you to tell a man to pay a nomination fee an amount that four years of his salary cannot cover and you are telling me you are fighting corruption, which corruption? Why do you think people are stealing 109 billion Naira in an APC-led government, the person that is supposed to guard it, they need to have such money because even if you want to contest, they’ll be asking you for billions to contest.

“So I rejected APC while I was in APC but you have to wait for an alternative, for another option, that will accommodate your own beliefs and remember, I resigned from APC before talking about any other party and when I saw a new Nigeria about to emerge from Labour Party, what I have prayed, what I wished for.

“It was only natural that I gravitated around it and that was what happened. So I was very sentimentally attached to the redemption of this country and I really thought that APC was going to provide that.

 

“When President Muhammadu Buhari was a military head of state, you know what happened? He was paying our debt with crude oil and people said he maintained his own salary. Look at what is happening now. He has borrowed us into bondage, their debt cannot even be serviced by the entire revenue.”

Our Achievements Will Leave Nigerians Breathless - Lai Mohammed

Aljaji Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says naysayers who have attempted to play down the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration will be left “breathless”.

Mohammed said this on Wednesday at the first edition of the government’s new series titled ‘PMB Administration Scorecard 2015-2023’, at an event held in Abuja.

The series is designed to show off the achievements of Buhari’s administration since he came into power in 2015.

According to the Minister, some presidential candidates have attempted to copy Buhari’s achievements as their blueprint.

He said, "In the din of politicking, naysayers have attempted to play down the massive and unprecedented achievements of this administration. Some presidential candidates have even released a poorly-done photocopy of this administration’s achievements as their own blueprint.

“But the series we are starting today will leave them breathless as we cover all the achievements in the various sectors, because we have so much to showcase. The frequency of these briefings will be high and this will run through the remaining part of our tenure.

“Despite attempts in some circles to downplay the achievements of this administration, I have no scintilla of doubt that history will be fairer and posterity will be kind to us. Those whose trips have been shortened and smoothened by good roads and bridges will remember those who built those roads and bridges; those who use the modern terminals at our airports will remember who built them."

Meanwhile, The Country’s debt rose by N30.72tn between July 2015 and June 2022, according to data released by the DMO. According to reports, Buhari Government to leave behind N60.9tr debt, making it the highest debt in the history of Nigeria, added to other liabilities in 2023

Nigeria Air To Take Flight By December - Buhari

President Mohammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that the establishment of a National Carrier for Nigeria is at 91 per cent completion, and is expected to commence flight operations before the end of this year.

The president gave the assurance at the 3rd Ministerial Performance Review Retreat on Monday, in Abuja, Nation's Capital.

According to him, the feat is being boosted with the certification of Lagos and Abuja International Airports by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, while Kano and Port Harcourt Airports are undergoing similar certification processes.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nigeria Air gulps N14.6billion, under five per cent government’s equity share.

I Will Continue With Your Legacies, Tinubu Tells Buhari

APC Presidential Candidate- Bola Tinubu and Nigeria's President, Mohammadu Buhari

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu says he will continue with the legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari if he is elected Nigeria’s President come 2023.

Addressing participants at the third Ministerial Performance Review Retreat currently underway at the State House, Tinubu said as President, he won’t relent until terrorists are completely diminished in the country.

Tinubu promised that if elected, he will show due honour to the efforts and legacies of the President and work in the spirit of unity, national purpose that informed the creation of the party.

The former Lagos State governor said his government will be devoted to continuity, particularly of projects that will bring prosperity to the citizens, while his guiding principle will be hinged on providing the best of progressive governance and reform the nation.

He added that these three promises will be in furtherance to the nine priority areas of the Buhari administration.