Dear Great People of our nation,
1. I greet and felicitate with you all as we enter the New
Year today. As we mark the beginning of this New Year, 2015, a new
nation is being born. A new nation is being born because of the
foundations we have all laid, working together for the good and progress
of our dear fatherland.
2. I join you all in thanking God Almighty who has brought us
this far, for continually bestowing His Grace upon us and for guiding
our great nation safely through all the challenges of the past year.
3. This year, as in the year past, I reaffirm my commitment to
work to ensure a secure future for our dear country and the generations
yet unborn.
4. Last year, we celebrated our hundredth year of nationhood.
The year brought us further progress, challenges and fresh
opportunities.
5. We have contended with the normal challenges of nation-building and the unusual challenges of terrorism.
6. But we have continued to vigorously confront those who seek to destroy the bonds of unity that hold us together.
7. On this first day of the New Year, I want to pay special
tribute to the gallant officers, men and women of our Armed Forces and
other security agencies who have been in the forefront of the war
against terrorism and violent extremism in our country and sub-region.
8. I also commend all Nigerians who have remained vigilant and
cooperative with our security agencies in the fight against the common
enemy.
9. We are re-equipping and re-positioning our armed forces to
enhance their capacity to win the ongoing war against terror and
insurgency.
10. Regrettably, terrorists have unleashed much pain and agony on
our land. They have made widows of our mothers and sisters and orphans
of our children. They have shut down businesses, desecrated places of
worship and brought untold hardship to both men and women. They have
violated the culture and peaceful way of life in our country, which took
generations to build.
11. They have destroyed countless schools and displaced people from their communities, driving them into exile.
12. I want to assure you that the terrorists will not get away
with their atrocities: they will not win; they will be routed. As
President, I feel the pain of all affected communities and families. I
hear their cries and share their sorrow and pain.
13. We will not forget; we will not look the other way. We have
done a lot of painstaking planning and work to resolve the current
security challenge. We will bring justice to the savage terrorists known
as Boko Haram. They will be defeated.
14. That is the solemn commitment I make today as President of the
Federal Republic, and Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces.
15. By the Special Grace of God, the Federal Government, under my
leadership, has continued, in the past four years to lead our country
forward, even under the most trying circumstances.
16. The progress we have made in priority areas bears us testimony.
