Nigeria’s President Umaru Yar’Adua has promised his compatriots ”a very eventful” year in the country’s development, while asking for cooperation from them to enable the administration realise its goals.
”The year 2008 promises to be a very eventful one in the progressive development of our dear nation. Among other things, it will be the first in which a national budget entirely conceived by this Administration will be implemented in furtherance of our national aspirations,” Yar’Adua said in his new year message, made available to PANA here Tuesday.
”We have already presented an appropriation bill to the National Assembly which clearly underscores our determination to give urgent and serious attention to the task of rehabilitating, expanding and developing our essential national infrastructure to accelerate the pace of growth in all sectors of our national economy,” the President said.
He added: ”We will work in close cooperation with the leadership and members of the Senate and the House of Representatives in the coming days to ensure the speedy passage of the bill and guarantee adequate and timely funding for projects which have been conceived to fulfill our promises to Nigerians, especially in critical sectors which require urgent attention.”
Yar’Adua urged the citizens to show a renewed commitment to ”earnestly and actively support this Administration’s efforts to rapidly move our beloved country further along the path to true greatness”.
”With your continued support, we shall, by the Grace of God Almighty, make very considerable progress this year towards the improvement of the living conditions of all Nigerians and the strengthening of our national institutions to faithfully fulfill their obligations to the citizenry at all times,” he added.
It was the first new year message from the President, who was sworn into office 29 May 2007 after a controversial election that is still being challenged in court.
