Akpabio @ 63: Why I Decided Not To Celebrate — Senate President

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said he decided against an elaborate celebration of his 63rd birthday because of the mood of the nation.

Akpabio turned 63 on Tuesday, but there was no major ceremony to mark the occasion except for the cutting of a birthday cake presented to him by the staff and aides in the Office of the Senate President.

The cake was presented to him in his office after Tuesday’s plenary, with some Senators in attendance.

Speaking after cutting the cake, Akpabio said he chose not to make the celebration elaborate due to the sombre state of the nation.

The Senate President explained: “For some of our children to still remain in captivity, as parents, our hearts are wounded.

“On the one hand, we continue to do our business. On the other hand, we go home to pray that soon, God will enable our security chiefs to recover all the children in captivity.

“And for those who lost their lives in the course of trying to protect those children from being abducted, we say may their souls rest in perfect peace.”

In his remarks, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, described Akpabio as a wonderful man.

“The Senate President is a special person, a wonderful man. A man who, even if you are sad, will make you laugh. He will make you happy. God has given him that gift.

“What we need to do for him is to continue to pray for him and his family for good health, long life and prosperity so that he can continue to work the way he has been working all these years,” Barau said.

The Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, said Akpabio had demonstrated “high cerebral capacity” as Senate President.

Bamidele added: “I don’t think any Nigerian is in doubt as to your cerebral capacity. Even those who are not totally in support of you will concede that. As much as possible, we will continue to show our support for you.

“I’m sure you are not in doubt that we have your back. We celebrate your leadership. We celebrate your touching candour. You have always been like a flower in our midst — so sweet, pure and simple. And this means so much to us.

“On a day like this, all we can say is that we love you and we will continue to pray for you, because to pray for you is to pray for Nigeria. You have led us well, regardless of what anybody will say. Yours has not been a regime of grandstanding.”

Former governor of Bayelsa State and chairman of the South-South Senate Caucus, Senator Seriake Dickson, while proposing a toast, attested to how “uncommon” Akpabio was during his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom.

“Here we are privileged to have him as our colleague, friend and brother, and as Senate President. But don’t get us wrong — sometimes we disagree. That is our job. As parliamentarians, that is what we are elected to do: to agree and also to disagree, but always in the national interest.

“So we are gathered to celebrate our wonderful friend, brother, colleague and ebullient President of the Senate,” Dickson said.

In his vote of thanks, Senator Abdul Ningi applauded Akpabio for not discriminating against any Senator on political or ethnic grounds.

Ningi, speaking on behalf of the Senate, thanked Akpabio “for being there for us, for being there for Nigeria, for the Principal Officers, and for trying to manage some of us. It is not easy.

“You have shown us comradeship and brotherhood, and at no time have you ever discriminated against us because we occupy another party platform.”