42 Heads of State including President Koroma & 323 Govt Ministers attend Nigeria’s President’s Inauguration

Forty two Heads of State and Government including Sierra Leone’s President Ernest Bai Koroma and former Heads of State and Presidents from different parts of the world, and a total of 323Government Ministers including Sierra Leone’s Information and Communications Minister Hon. Alhaji I. B. Kargbo, Political and Public Affairs Minister Hon. Alpha B.S. Kanu and Northern Resident Minister Hon. Alie Doyle Kamara have attended the inauguration of Nigeria’s President elect H.E. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan at the Eagle Square, Abuja Federal Capital territory.

The ceremony also saw more than 250 military Chiefs and Traditional rulers from different parts of the world, including Sierra Leone’s Paramount Chief Charles Caulker of Rotifunk, in the Moyamba District Southern Sierra Leone and Paramount Chief Allie Marah of Koinadugu District Northern Sierra Leone who is also a member of Parliament and Diplomats of Countries accredited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria including Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner Henry O. Macauley.

Heads of States, Government Ministers and other visiting officials were ferried to the Eagle Square in four heavily guarded Marcopolo luxurious buses, and placed in a much secured environment, 30 meters from the dais where their colleague took the oath of office.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is the fourth democratically elected Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, since the return of Democracy twelve years ago.

 

The ceremony saw different people from the thirty six states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in different shades of colour chanting slogans and singing in jubilation for Democracy in continuity in one of the most populous African states which fifty years of independence is dominated by military rule.

 

The occasion gave them the opportunity to see in person for the very first time, a  good number of African leaders including Zimbabwe’s Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Uganda’s  Museveni, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, Zambia’s George Kunda, West Africa’s only female President of Liberia, Mrs. Johnson Sirleaf. They were also able to see in person the Algerian President Abdul Azeez Bouteflika, Congo Brazzaville’s Dennis Ngueso, DRC’s Joseph Kabila, Trinidad and Tobago’s George Maxwell, Idris Deby of Chad, and Prime minister of Switzerland Barnabas, Togo’s Ahmed Toumane Toure, and Senegal’s Abdoulaye Wade, Burkina faso’s Blaise Campoare .etc.

 

Soon after the swearing in ceremony, of His Excellency Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Grand Commander of the Armed Forces, all the flags of the Country (Green – White – Green), colours of the  Armed Forces, (Air Force, Naval Wing and Army) were lowered and replaced by new one’s symbolizing a new political dispensation, ushered in by a 21-gun salute, followed by the performing of his first official duty by inspecting a Guard of honour mounted by the Guards Brigade.

During his inaugural speech, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said “the time of lamentation is over and I will never let you down”. He promised to restore efficient infrastructure, integrity in public institutions, Introduce Free education, continue the fight for improved medical care and called on defeated Presidential candidates to partner with him to push Nigeria forward.

Demonstrations of Air-might, Combat – Expertise and Naval Power formed highlight of the program.

Pasco Gerald Temple, Information Attache, Sierra Leone High Commission
Ralph Ese Donnu Sawyer, State House Press Officer

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