Osinbajo, Govs, Others Pay Tributes To Buhari At 80

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, his wife,  Dolapo Osinbajo,  the Northern Governors Forum, North Central Governors, APC governors and other distinguished Nigerians yesterday sent congratulatory messages to President Muhammadu Buhari on his 80th birthday.

In a personally signed statement, the vice president said Buhari’s extraordinary life of unblemished service to the nation in the army, as a governor, minister, military Head of State and two-term civilian president demonstrated that it is possible to serve the nation and people honestly, forthrightly and selflessly.

“Dolly and I and the family wish you many more happy years in peace and good health in Jesus’ name. Amen,” he said.

The Northern Governors Forum also felicitated with the president, describing him as a father for all who had done so much to touch the lives of Nigerians positively.

Chairman of the forum and governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong said the president had lived a life of sacrifice, service and patriotism from his days in the military and even presently where he had been saddled with the responsibility of running the country under a democracy.

He said the forum was proud to be associated with achievements of the president in carrying out landmark projects and programmes which had changed the trajectory of Nigeria’s development.

Governor Lalong said the forum had enjoyed tremendous support and cooperation from the president in its quest to address some of the many challenges of the region particularly those relating to education, security, agriculture, infrastructure and health among others.

Lalong emphasized that the president had given a good account of his mandate and would leave a legacy of impact that is seen in various sectors of the Nigerian economy.

While wishing him many more years ahead, the Northern Governors Forum prayed God to grant the president good health, God’s protection and divine protection.

Similarly, the North Central States Governors Forum described Buhari as a legend and a man of integrity who is not only patriotic to ensure the development of the nation but also to secure the future of the younger generation

Chairman of the forum and governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello said the president had demonstrated leadership capacity despite global challenges confronting many nations including Nigeria.

He said the impactful initiatives and execution of projects across all the six geo-political zones of the country by Buhari irrespective of his political leaning and other considerations, speak volumes of his penchant for fairness and justice.

Bello said the unrelenting efforts of the president to ensure that banditry in the North Central Zone are substantially addressed was highly commendable, and wished the president more years in good health and wisdom.

Governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) applauded the leadership qualities of President Muhammadu Buhari, assuring him that they were working assiduously to make sure that the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  emerges victorious in next year’s election.

The governors under the aegis of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), while congratulating the president on his 80th birthday, said his determination to defend and secure Nigeria had stablised and restored confidence in the country’s electoral process and politics.

In a statement issued by their chairman and Kebbi State governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the progressive governors thanked Buhari for his inspiring leadership role, just as they described him as a dogged and unwavering leader.

Bagudu stated: “We are grateful for your leadership, vision and commitment to move our dear nation forward. Your doggedness and unwavering determination to defend and secure Nigeria as a prosperous and democratic country has immeasurably stablised and restore confidence in our electoral process and party politics.”

“Leaders and members of our party are grateful to have your inspiring leadership role. Accordingly, our party has continued to evolve and both management of party administration and processes of candidates’ emergence are improving, which is responsible for the higher electoral advantages we have comparative to other parties in the country. This accounts for the massive support of Nigerians for all our candidates for the 2023 elections at all levels.”

The director general, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu, described President Muhammadu Buhari as the most labour-friendly president the country had ever produced.

Aremu, who spoke with newsmen in Ilorin yesterday on the occasion of the 80th birthday of the president, listed a number of Buhari’s administration’s giant strides in the labour sector to buttress his point.

He said despite the daunting challenges that the Buhari’s administration met on ground in 2015  as symbolised by insecurity, economic downturn, protracted strikes in key sectors of the economy, non-payment or delayed payment of salaries, especially in the public service and low morale of workers due to low wages at the face of mounting inflation, workers were not made to bear the brunt of the challenges.

The senior special assistant to the president on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope –Adefulire also congratulated him, describing him as a forthright leader with passion and genuine love for the people.

Orelope-Adefulire in a statement yesterday noted that the president had demonstrated his genuine love for the downtrodden and the vulnerable since his election in 2015 through his various programmes, policies, initiatives, and investments in infrastructure across the country.