The National Executive Council, National Executive Committee and the entire membership of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI),extend warm felicitations and heartfelt good wishes to Your Excellency on the occasion of your birthday.
A statement signed by AmbassadorEmmanuel Obi Okafor mni President Alumni Association of the National Institute AANI Abuja said AANI is mindful of His Excellency’s expressed wish that this milestone be observed quietly, with public attention directed towards the more pressing task of nation building rather than personal celebration.
It said that “We fully respect your wishes. Nevertheless, as members of the family of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, we cannot allow this special day to pass without acknowledging your remarkable journey of service and expressing our sincere appreciation for your friendship, support and commitment to our Alma Mater”.
“Your Excellency’s distinguished journey from the banking profession through public service as Governor of Borno State and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to your present position as Vice President has been marked by courage, resilience, intellectual depth and a commitment to the Nigerian project” it added.
For AANI, our appreciation goes beyond the office you occupy. We particularly acknowledge and commend Your Excellency’s warm disposition towards the Association, your accessibility and receptiveness to our engagements, and your recognition of the immense reservoir of knowledge, experience and strategic capacity within the NIPSS alumni community.
We are especially grateful for your consistent support for NIPSS Kuru, our Alma Mater, and your appreciation of its strategic importance to national development. Your commitment to strengthening the Institute as a centre of excellence for policy research, strategic thinking and leadership development is deeply appreciated by the entire NIPSS family.
Your Excellency’s recognition of the need to ensure that the wealth of knowledge and policy recommendations generated by NIPSS translate into tangible outcomes in governance is particularly commendable. It reflects your understanding that the Institute and its alumni constitute an important national asset whose intellectual resources can contribute significantly to addressing Nigeria’s complex developmental, security, economic and social challenges.
AANI equally appreciates your openness to engaging with the Association on issues of national importance. Your disposition towards our ideas and initiatives has reinforced our belief that the NIPSS family can and should remain a strategic partner in the collective effort to build a more secure, prosperous, united and resilient Nigeria.
As you attain another milestone in your life, we celebrate not merely the passage of another year, but a life dedicated to public service and the advancement of our dear country.
We pray that Almighty Allah will continue to grant Your Excellency wisdom, strength, sound health, courage and divine guidance as you discharge the enormous responsibilities entrusted to you by the President and the people of Nigeria.
May the years ahead bring you greater fulfilment and enable you to continue contributing meaningfully to the peace, stability, prosperity and development of our beloved nation.
Happy Birthday, Your Excellency.
May Almighty Allah continue to bless you and your family, and grant you many more years of purposeful service to Nigeria.