“Ensure public funds are deployed to uplift lives,” Akpabio urges senators

By Naomi Sharang

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has called on senators to ensure public funds are deployed in ways that will uplift lives of Nigerians and promote sustainable growth in the country.

Akpabio made the appeal in his welcome address to senators at the resumption of plenary on Tuesday.

The Senate President stressed the need for the lawmakers to ensure that public resources are used responsibly to advance national development and improve the welfare of citizens.

He also urged his colleagues to prioritise policies that will strengthen institutions, expand opportunities and deliver meaningful progress to Nigerians.

“Distinguished colleagues, among the pressing matters before this chamber stands the national budget, that great ledger of national purpose in which the hopes of millions are translated into the language of public policy.

“A budget is more than figures upon paper. It is a declaration of national intention.

“It tells our citizens where we choose to invest our energies, what priorities we pursue and what future we seek to build.

“It is my earnest hope that every diligence has been exercised by our vigilant and patriotic sectoral committees to ensure that the budget reflects, as faithfully as possible, the aspirations and yearnings of the Nigerian people.

“That is, the farmer who tills the soil, the trader who labours in the marketplace, the student who studies by lamplight and the worker whose daily effort sustains the engines of our economy,” Akpabio stated.

Akpabio noted that today, Nigeria stands at a moment that calls for clarity of purpose and steadfastness of spirit.

“The challenges before us are real. But history teaches us that great nations are not built by those who shrink from difficulty; they are built by those who confront it with courage and determination.

“Let us therefore continue to conduct our work with dignity, with seriousness of purpose and with a patriotic devotion worthy of the trust placed in us by the Nigerian people.

“Let us debate with vigour but act with wisdom. Let us differ in opinions but remain united in our duty to the republic,” he said.

Akpabio also used the occasion to mourn the passing of Sen. Barinada Mpigi who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District.

“His passing has left a painful void in this chamber and in the hearts of those who knew him.

“Sen. Mpigi was a patriot whose years of service in the National Assembly were marked by dedication to the welfare of his constituents and loyalty to the ideals of democratic governance.

“He was a man of calm strength, cooperative spirit and unwavering commitment to the legislative process.

“In mourning his departure, we are reminded once again of the fragility of life and the enduring value of service to one’s people.

“On behalf of the Senate, I extend heartfelt condolences to his beloved family, to the government and people of Rivers and especially to the people of Rivers South-East Senatorial District whom he served with diligence and pride,” he said.

(NAN)