Barack Hussein Obama, 47, was on Tuesday, January 20, sworn into office as America’s 44th President. His vice president, Joe Biden, was also sworn into office. Flanked on his right by his wife and now First Lady Michelle and on his left by his predecessor, George Bush, the tough talking and looking rather formidable - far from the feeble-faced young man of yesterday - Obama assured millions of Americans gathered at the Capitol Hill and the world at large, that great and real though America’s challenges be, ‘they will be met.’ “Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.” This was after Obama had laid bare the state of America he said was in the midst of crisis – a nation at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred; an economy badly weakened, lost homes; shed jobs; shuttered businesses; too costly health care; schools that fail too many; and ever potent adversaries. “These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.” Calling on all Americans to rally together and in unity build a better, more prosperous nation, he said Americans had “chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord” and that it was time the nation set aside ‘childish things’, ‘the petty grievances and false promises’ and take big plans. He also had a word of caution for all who seek to employ terror as a weapon in subduing the free will of the American people and the rest of the world, warning “We will defeat you”. Barack Obama expressed gratitude to the American people for the trust they repose in him in entrusting the nation in his hands, and said while he was humbled by the task, he would be "mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors." He was also grateful to his predecessor, George Bush, for his service to America and for his generosity and cooperation throughout the transition. (Below is the full speech delivered by Barack Obama on his investiture.) Story by Isaac Yeboah and Nathan Gadugah