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The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Friday gave an insight into why former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, was nominated into the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at a book launch to mark the 57th birthday celebration of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Port Harcourt, Senator Akpabio described the celebrant as a workaholic public officer and someone who gives his best in any office he found himself in.
Said Akpabio: “Let me tell you why you were nominated into the FEC by President Tinubu despite being an opposition politician. Your performance, as a local government chairman, Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Government, Minister and two-term governor gave you the job.
“You have made us proud as the FCT minister. You have turned Abuja into a model city befitting the capital of a country. You are a very committed public officer who has no room for excuses on any given task. In less than two years, you have turned Abuja into a huge construction site.”
Speaking further, Senator Akpabio said: “Today we gather to celebrate not just the years in your life, but the life in your years. We have come to honour not just the duration of your life but the donation of your life and the countless ways you’ve enriched the lives of the people around you.
“Born in the tumultuous year of 1967, when the fabric of our nation was being tested in the fires of conflict, you emerged, my dear Wike, not in the safety of calm waters but amid the storm itself. You might have chosen to arrive in more tranquil times, but instead, you bravely came forth into the fray. It is perhaps this very fortitude that has shaped your character, allowing you to rise like an eagle, soaring high above the tempests that beset us.”
As a two-term governor, you have been a leader of the people, a visionary who acts with purpose, and a friend whose care for others knows no bounds. Your dedication to uplifting communities, as a governor and now as an Honourable Minister, has left an indelible mark upon our nation’s history. The bridges you have constructed—both of steel and of spirit—stand as testaments to your commitment to progress and unity. I recognized the fire within you long before you stepped into the public arena; you were, indeed, a secret waiting to be unveiled for the nation to behold.
“Your contributions to the political landscape of Nigeria, particularly during your governorship, shine like a beacon of hope. Your charismatic leadership and staunch advocacy for the rights of your constituents have focused on the pillars of infrastructure, education, and healthcare. You have earned a reputation as a leader of uncompromising integrity, speaking truth in every circumstance even when the winds of injustice howl around you like a tempest,” he declared.
