GEJ: It’s good that Buhari belongs to nobody

Goodluck Jonathan, the immediate past president of Nigeria, has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for pledging allegiance to all Nigerians in his inaugural speech.

Speaking in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa state on Saturday, Jonathan said he was impressed with the position of his successor in that regard, advising Nigerians to cooperate with the president.

“Buhari said he does not belong to any clique, and I congratulate him for that statement,” he said.

“It shows that we should all rally around him to work towards the development of the country and make Nigerians happy.”

Some opinion leaders in the state also commended Buhari, describing his speech as ‘a roadmap’ to move the country forward.

Tari Dounana, chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUCN) in Bayelsa, told NAN that the speech indicated that Buhari was ready to bring change to the country.

Dounana urged the new president to fulfill his promises to Nigerians irrespective of party, religious and tribal affiliation.

“The president said that he belonged to everyone and to nobody. Those are the kinds of words we want from a leader,” he said.

“Thank God Nigeria’s democracy is advancing and we have gotten a leader that will take the issues of workers very seriously.”

On his part, Ezekiel Ogbianko, chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in the state,  urged the president to look into rice farming.

“All Nigerians, especially RIFAN, should cooperate with the new administration to move the country forward,” he said.

“I believe that if president takes actions on all he said, Nigeria will move forward.”

Samuel Ayadi, Niger Delta Coordinator of Artisanal Fishermen Association of Nigeria (ARFAN), said that thousands of fishermen across the region were impressed by the inaugural speech.

“The speech raises a lot of hope and for the new president to even mention the Niger Delta issue shows that he cares. We, the fishermen, have showcased our challenges to him during his electioneering campaigns,” he said.

“We expect him to address pending oil spill compensations, especially the Bonga Spill incident and assist the traditional fishing sector to enable us contribute towards food security.”

Namso Ekpo, leader of Onna Industrial Youth Cooperative, a Niger Delta based group, urged Buhari to industrialise the Niger Delta region to meaningfully engage the teeming youths.

“The president mentioning the Niger Delta region in his inaugural speech means that he has done research on the problems facing the country and we await his actions to address the issues,” he said.

“We are ready to work with him to meaningfully engage the youths in productive ventures and be self reliant.”