HIGHLIGHTS:

 Buhari: Nigeria’s Future Is Secured With Leaders Like Dogara

 Dogara Celebrates 50th Birthday With Church Thanksgiving,
Visits To Orphanage Homes"
Dogara Celebrates 50th
Birthday With Church
Thanksgiving, Visits To
Orphanage Homes
...charges orphans, underprivileged not to feel lim-
ited by their circumstances

As part of his dedication to the upliftment of the

underprivileged in the society, Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara,
celebrated his 50th birthday in different orphanage
homes located in the Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja.

This was after a special thanksgiving service which

held at Living Faith Church, Goshen.

The Speaker said he chose to celebrate his 50th

birthday, the first time in his life he will be celebrat-
ing any birthday, in order to review his journey in
life and make an impact in the lives of others, espe-
cially internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the
less-privileged.

The visits were simultaneously held in 19 orphan-

age homes, with the Speaker physically present in 2
and represented by lawmakers and friends in 17
others.

On his visit to Treasure Orphanage Home and Karu

Children's Home, the Speaker motivated the chil-
dren to work hard to achieve their dreams and not
be discouraged by the circumstances they have
found themselves.

He assured them that they can attain whatever

heights they desire if they believe in God, live a dis-
ciplined and focused life and work hard, adding
that though they have no father, they have God as
their fathers, they will get to the highest of what
God has in future for them

The Speaker appealed to able men and women in

the society to join in supporting the children who
have found themselves in a situation not due to
their own faults.
.....Pledges To Meet FCT
Administration Over Free
Education, Medicals For
Orphans, Underprivileged
In FCT
The Speaker also disclosed that members of the
House will engage the administration of the Federal
Capital Territory on the possibility of providing free
medical services and education for orphans and un-
derprivileged children in the FCT.
The Speaker was reacting to a request from the ad-
ministrator of the Abuja Children's Home, Mrs Han-
natu Attah, for a policy that will give free education
at all levels, as well as free medical services to the
children in orphanage homes in order to ease the
financial burden of paying the bills.
He pointed out that while democracy promotes en-
trepreneurship, the House is not empowered to
make such a policy pronouncement but it may be
under the purview of the administration of the FCT
to handle such requests.
He then assured her that he will meet with the rep-
resentatives of the FCT in the National Assembly so
that they can present the request to the FCT minis-
ter.
The Speaker also declared that all proceeds of his
birthday activities, including his book launch, will go
to orphans, internally displaced and underprivileged
in the society.
"That is what we should be doing; empowering oth-
ers and not ourselves at this point of our lives. Eve-
rytime will be devoted to charity. We have been able
to raise quite a lot and I promise that every dime we
have raised and will raise today will be solely devot-
ed to the less privileged".
......Impacting Lives Positively
More Of Achievement To Me
Than Speakership - Dogara
Speaker Yakubu Dogara has said that as he cele-
brates his 50th birthday, he takes stock of his
achievements more by the measure of positive im-
pact he has been able to make in the lives of people,
especially the less privileged in the society, than po-
sitions he has occupied, including that of the Speak-
er.
He said his greatest achievement would be summed
up in his ability to better the lots of most citizens of
the country, adding that a lot of people think it is
because he is the Speaker; the Number 4 person in
Nigeria, that he has achieved a lot.
"To me, that’s not an achievement. I am measuring
my life by the impact that those 50 years have
brought to bear on the lives of others and I have
seen it myself and so many people have been able
to tell me how I have impacted on their lives these
50 years.
” So, it is a special moment for me. And as I mark 50,
my next journey in life is to be able to reassess
where I have not done very well so that I can
strengthen those areas and strengthen my resolve
to serve humanity better. “For me, Nigeria is a great
country. It will be greater and that’s if all of us do
our work. The problem we have now is that virtually
everyone looks up to government. Every Nigerian
must go to work and if Nigerians go to work and do
the right work, I can assure you that in the next 50
years, this nation will be a cesspool of prosperity for
all the citizens of this country. Everything we run
abroad for, we will have them in this country if all of
us make collective effort not just people in govern-
ment.”

Buhari: Nigeria’s Future Is Secured
With Leaders Like Dogara, Speaker
Dogara Has Exceptional Leadership
Qualities
President Muhammadu Buhari's Birth-
day Message To Speaker Dogara At 50
On behalf of the Federal Executive Coun-
cil and all Nigerians, President Muham-
madu Buhari warmly felicitates with the
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Hon. Yakubu Dogara, as he turns 50
years.
President Buhari joins the National As-
sembly, the Nigerian Bar Association,
friends and family of the erudite and
charismatic leader in celebrating the years
of remarkable achievements and
awards that have culminated into
this golden jubilee.
The President extols Dogara’s hu-
mility, simplicity and discipline in
providing exceptional leadership for
the lower house for over two years
by diligently bridging
the gaps and creating a harmonious
atmosphere for debates and ex-
change of ideas for national devel-
opment.
President Buhari affirms that the
Speaker’s personal attributes of
selflessness, maturity and friendli-
ness have substantially eased the
relationship between the Executive
and the Legislative arm, resulting in
the passage of bills that directly im-
pact the livelihood of Nigerians.
Recalling his personal interactions
with the Speaker, and having fol-
lowed his political trajectory in the
House of Representatives, President
Buhari believes Nigeria’s future can
only be secured with great leader-
ship by younger Nigerians, who are
fired with the zeal to build one
great nation that everyone can call
a home.
"Dogara Is A Special Person."
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo's
Birthday Message To Speaker
Dogara At 50.
I had told the Rt. Hon. Speaker that I would not be
able to attend his birthday event, because today is a
day when annually, I host all members of my family,
and I had done this for very many years and he had
excused me from coming and said he understood.
But about two days ago, it just struck me that I had
to be here and now I understand why I had to be
here.
I have always known that the Speaker is an excep-
tional person in this funny world of politics. As you
can imagine, politics is not a picnic, but there are
people who stand by their word and you can take
them by their word.
I heard, I think at some point, that the Speaker is a
Christian. Over time, I got to know that. I didn’t
even know his antecedents, but I recognised that
there was something distinct and special about him.
I think that, by just hearing the stories and various
testimonies of his life, it is evident that he is a good
Christian. I have always said that if you are a Chris-
tian, we must know your salvation experience; we
must know your story.
If you don’t have a salvation experience you must
go get one, but when you know a man or a wom-
an’s salvation experience, then you know where he
is coming from and you will understand why he is
who he is today.
I am really grateful to God for today and I am going
to get the book (to be unveiled today about the
Speaker). I am going to tell my son the story be-
cause I always tell him stories, especially about
greatness and about great people. I have always
underscored to him that there is something im-
portant about redemption and greatness.
I was so pleased today when I heard Pastor Abioye
talk about that relationship between redemption
and greatness – the understanding that our lives
really must be about service, because the one who
saved us died for us and served us till the end.
So, I’m really so excited to be here and to celebrate
with my brother because I have been greatly en-
riched today and greatly encouraged in my Chris-
tian faith. And I want to just bless the name of the
Lord for you, your wife and children.
I pray that, just like the scriptures say, “That the
path of the just is like a shining light and it will
shine brighter and brighter until that perfect day”, I
pray that your light will shine brighter until that
perfect day in the mighty name of Jesus. I also pray
that as your day, so shall your strength, so shall
your wisdom and so shall your favour increase with
God.
Your family, who you see today, you will continue
to see and you will have pride and joy in them eve-
ry day. All your children will be greater than you
and all that you desire, the Lord God Almighty will
bring to pass in Jesus name.
Saraki Supported Me To Become Speaker -
Dogara
The Speaker of the House of Represent-
atives, Yakubu Dogara, has disclosed
that President of the Senate, Dr. Abuba-
kar Bukola Saraki, was instrumental to
his clinching of the speakership of the
House.
He said though his colleagues made
him speaker against all odds, as virtually
everything was done against the project
from the party to even resources at his
disposal, the Senate president played a
key role by making himself available to
give ideas and financial support.
"Whenever we ran into trouble during
the campaigns, we would go to him.
He contributed a lot of ideas and even
money, although I’m not going to
mention how much.