Snippets of a Speech the President Should Have Delivered

Fellow Nigerians, good morning, it is great to be back after almost 104 days away on medical leave.  In due course the precise nature of my ailment and recovery will be addressed by my medical team who will respond to any questions you may have.  

I admit to my basic and flawed humanity and accept that I have not always been perfect in my past pronunciations, only Almighty God is, and I seek forgiveness if my past utterances may have suggested otherwise. I am, however, fortunate and been blessed by Almighty God with healing and recovery and now ready to assume my duties as your President.

However, I must state that in my moments of intense reflection whilst recuperating I was able to clarify a number of issues about the state of our nation. I believe there is an intellectual and constitutional argument for the indissolubility of the Federation of Nigeria and we intend through constant engagement and delibrations to triumph in making that our case.

In the midst of the calls for restructuring and separation I am convinced that there are times when we are and should be 36 distinct constituent states and there are times when we are one republic that has national needs. 

The way I realised this is that Adamawa, Plateau or Borno States did not fight Boko Haram alone nor was the invasion of Bakassi left to Cross River State alone to respond. Some have argued in the name of restructuring that states should govern wall to wall and I will suggest the opinion is valid. 

For instance some want Oduduwa, Niger Delta and Biafrian States as independent countries but all the entities contained therein, received billions in Federal allocation in the last year.  If my premise is founded upon reality, the question then is are those states fighting for and agitating for separation, viable in their own rights? In the name of fiscal federalism will they have the capacity to cater for the basic needs of their respective people.  

My absence away from the shores of Nigeria has taught me that every once in a while, there is a day when we are exposed to what is an absolute right and an absolute wrong, but those days almost always include human causalities such as the Ozobulu Church massacre for which I have offered commiserations. Other than that, there are not very many unnuanced moments in leading a country that is defined by so much complexity. I wish to assure all and sundry that contrary to impressions generated in my absence I am the President of Nigeria, not the President of the people who agree with me.

I hereby rededicate my self to the cause of Nigeria and promise that I shall for the remainder of my term ensure that I serve wisely, advise prudently, protect with vigilance, judge with care, above all defend with all my heart, all my soul and all my courage the Nigerian people.