A former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, has been elected Senate President of the 10th Assembly.
Akpabio, who is the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress, was sworn in as the Senate President after polling 63 votes, beating his rival, Abdulaziz Yari, who got 46 votes.
his acceptance speech, the Senate President called on senators to put this national interest first at all times.
Here is Akpabio’s full speech read after his swearing-in as the Senate President of the 10th Assembly.
ACCEPTANCE SPEECH DELIVERED BY H.E. DISTINGUISHED SENATOR (CHIEF) GODSWILL OBOT AKPABIO, CON, ON HIS ELECTION AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, THIS 13TH DAY OF JUNE, 2023.
H.E. the Deputy Senate President, Distinguished Senator Jibrin Barau, The Senate Leader, Principal Officers of the Senate,
Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Gentlemen of the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen
To God Almighty, the creator of the universe, who alone is supreme, be all glory, honour, majesty, dominion and power. I bow before you and acknowledge your inestimable control of all that we do and that we are.
- Today marks a historic moment as we embark on a new chapter in the Senate. Distinguished Senators, today, I stand before you humbled, honoured, and filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and responsibility as I acknowledge and accept your call to serve as the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I assure you that I will discharge the responsibilities of this office with utmost dedication, integrity, and fairness.
- I am humbled because your choice reflects the collective will of the Senate, this assembly of Nigerians whose role and responsibilities for Nigeria is at the apex of the demands of true patriotism, loyalty and devotion to the country. As the Senate, you represent the entire country and your choice is a reflection of the choice of your constituents, of all Nigeria. And I thank you very sincerely for it.
- Many of the challenges we have had, and many of the defining moments of our historic journey as a nation towards true democracy, have been met and made by those who have hitherto occupied this seat. I am therefore immensely grateful not only for the great trust you have placed in me today by electing me as the President of the Senate but also for the opportunity to serve our great nation, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- I am pleased, as I am sure that you too are, that we have in His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, a President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is committed to a strong economy, national security, inclusion and the rule of law. The antecedents of Mr President and his actions in office these past two weeks give not just a pointer but bear witness to an executive government that knows the challenges of the country and is in a hurry to resolve same. We should, therefore, anticipate an executive that is proactive, progressive and practical. Our laws must, therefore, align with the vision of Mr. President to protect and provide for our people at the innermost core of their essence while our actions must also guarantee the best and most efficient use of our national commonwealth.
- Government is a continuum and the Senate is no less so. We shall, therefore, further strengthen the legislative space in continuation of the laudable efforts made by the 9th Senate under the able leadership of H.E. Senator Ahmed Lawan, GCON, President of the 9th Senate. Chief among these are:
i. Gender matters, with specific affirmative provisions to guarantee women’s inclusivity;
ii. Issues relating to persons with special needs and equality;
iii. Engaging, empowering and rewarding our resourceful and innovative youths in terms of protection of intellectual innovations and property, and improved access to finance for technological start-ups. We must recognise and prepare for a mid-21st century global economy that places a premium on intellectual content and knowledge, and our young men and women must be supported to engage competitively;
iv. Expansion of the revenue streams available to the country, especially from our huge but largely unregulated natural and solid mineral resources base. These additional sources of revenue will build the nation’s resilience to shocks and stresses resulting from the fluctuation of oil prices in the international market;
v. We will, as a forward-looking Senate, pass laws that emphasise economic viability, social acceptability and environmental sustainability, to encourage alternate and green technologies without prejudicing our developmental needs.
