•Reveals A Lot
My darling husband, my best friend, a rare gift from God to me and humanity, a God-fearing and caring father, the epitome of humility, generosity personified, peacemaker, bridge builder, full of humour and wisdom. I give thanks to God that since We started our lives together as husband and wife on the 1st of July 1978, there has not been any cause to regret, though it has not been without its difficulties. It was actually a bed of roses with thorns and fragrances, but glory be to God Almighty who enabled me to ignore the thorns and embrace the fragrances, which I enjoy until today to the glory of God and the shame of the devil.
Only, there cannot be a better time to appreciate you for showering me with your love. You are such a true friend, dependable companion, my confidant, a source of inspiration and joy. I thank God for bringing you my way and I can say with all sincerity that loving, you is a delight. I can look back and thank God for his faithfulness In spite of hard and rough times and the grace to play the role of a mother to you.
You taught our children to be hardworking and not to rely on their parents for comfort. You and I aligned to train them to be content with what they have, to persevere and remain faithful even in difficult times and thank God they all turned out well.
God’s grace is certainly like a heavy rainfall upon you. You are so special and unique, like a dew from heaven, a burst of sunshine upon the family and friends. You give so much of yourself without expecting anything in return. You trust God so much that you take every challenge with a pinch of salt and as the will of God. This is what has given you rootedness and made you able to withstand challenges that could make one fall.
Your frequent assignments in and outside the country throughout your service in the army actually made the care of your home front a herculean task. Coming to Lagos to serve as a military administrator gave us an opportunity to live together under the same roof consecutively for three months due to your numerous postings serving the Nation. It was out of sheer luck (in our sight but not in God’s sight) that you were around to witness the birth of one child out of the four children we are blessed with.
I remember in 1983, as the Commanding Officer of 211 Tank Batallion, Bama, Borno State, you were on a course during the boundary dispute in the Lake Chad area. I had a hollow relief that you were not around to lead your battalion to the battlefront. You rushed home one weekend when the battle was Intense and the devastating news of your soldier’s death got to you. You rejected my warm embrace and my food and told me that you could not stay at home to be eating when your soldiers were dying at the war front. You dressed up ready for war and told me that you were going to see your soldiers and that I should take care of the children if you could not make it back. I remember telling you boldly that you would come back unhurt in/Jesus name and so it was.
I thank God for your life and for the fulfilment of His word in your life. You passed through rivers and they did not overflow you, you walked through fire and you were not burned, neither did the flame kindle upon you (Isaiah 43:2). You are a politician with a difference, a politician defied of lies, an incorruptible man who abhors injustice and will never compromise anything unworthy or unholy. To you, black is black and white is white. Though you are hated for this in some quarters, you are proud to maintain your integrity. You are kind, compassionate and generous to a fault even to the detriment of our immediate family, which has become acceptable to the children and I. You demonstrate that the pursuits of riches and wellness can go side by side.
This landmark celebration calls for praises to God Almighty whose grace has kept you to the age of 70 years in good health and with enviable achievements even as an orphan at the age of nine.
I don’t have·anyone to thank other than God Almighty for His grace ver you and pray that as you commence a new journey as a septuagenarian. God will endow you with unprecedented good health, spiritual upliftment, zeal to serve the Lord and grace to celebrate many more decades on earth in Jesus’ Name. Amen
CONGRATULATIONS MY DEAR
