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

Akpabio clocked 63 on Tuesday but there was no elaborate celebration of the occasion except the cutting of birthday cake presented to him by the staff and aides in the office of the Senate President.

The cake was presented to the celebrant in his office after the Senate plenary on Tuesday, with some senators in attendance.

Speaking after the cutting of the cake, Akpabio said he decided not to make his birthday celebration elaborate because of the mood of the nation.

The Senate President explained further that “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 that 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 at the occasion, the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin described Akpabio as a wonderful man.

“The Senate President is a special person, a wonderful man. A man that even if you are sad, he 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 a “high cerebral capacity” as Senate President.

Bamidele remarked further, “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 that 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 just 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 the toast, attested to how uncommon Akpabio was 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. Sometime we disagree. That is our job. As parliamentarians, that is what we are elected to do. To agree and also to disagree but also doing so, at all times, in the national interest.

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

In his vote of thanks, Senator Abdul Ningi applauded Akpabio for not discriminating against anyone in the Senate either on account of political or ethnic differences.

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

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

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