Buhari does not belong to any clique,
says Jonathan
Dr Goodluck Jonathan , the immediate past president
and stakeholders in Bayelsa have applauded
President Muhammadu Buhari , for pledging
allegiance to all in his inaugural speech.
Reacting to the speech , in Yenagoa on Saturday,
Jonathan said that he was gladdened by the posture
of the president .
“ Buhari said that he does not belong to any clique,
and I congratulate him for that statement . It shows
that we should all rally around him to work towards
the development of the country and make Nigerians
happy, ” Jonathan said .
Other opinion leaders in Bayelsa also commended
Buhari for the speech , describing it as ‘a roadmap ’
to
move the country forward .
The Bayelsa Chairman of the Trade Union Congress
of Nigeria ( TUCN) , Mr Tari Dounana , 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 . That is the kind of words we want
from a leader.
“ Thank God Nigeria’ s democracy is advancing and
we have gotten a leader that will take the issues of
workers very seriously, ” he said .
Mr Ezekiel Ogbianko , the Chairman of the Rice
Farmers Association of Nigeria ( RIFAN ) in Bayelsa ,
also commended the president’ s inaugural speech ,
urging him to also look into rice farming .
“ All Nigerians , especially RIFAN should cooperate
with the new administration to move the country
forward .
“ I believe that if president takes actions on all he
said , Nigeria will move forward , ” Ogbianko said .
Also Rev . 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 .
“ 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,” Ayadi said .
Mr Namso Ekpo , the Leader of Onna Industrial Youth
Cooperative, a Niger Delta based group urged the
new president 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.
“ We are ready to work with him to meaningfully
engage the youths in productive ventures and be self
reliant, ” Ekpo said .