TEXT OF SPEECH DELIVERED BY SEN. OLUREMI TINUBU, OON AT THE COMMISSIONING OF “REHOBOTH HOUSE” LAGOS CENTRAL SENATORIAL CONSTITUENCY OFFICE, YABA, LAGOS ON JUNE 12, 2012.
Today is indeed the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Glory be to God.
I welcome the Special Guest of Honour, our father, His Excellency, Chief Bisi Akande who is also the National Chairman of our party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). I appreciate you Sir and I commend the exemplary way you have continued to steer the ship of our great party. By the special grace of God, we will berth on the shores of that great harbour come 2015. God will increase you more and more, in wisdom and in divine health.
I salute other worthy leaders of our great party, especially our state chairman, Otunba Henry Ajomale; Baba Party, Prince Tajudeen Oluyole Olusi, the Lagos Central Senatorial District leader and other party stalwarts. I welcome you all and God bless you.
I welcome the First Lady of Lagos State, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, the Mother of the Day, and other distinguished guests.
I am most joyful today because it marks the fulfilment of one of the statutory responsibilities I am undertaking as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Lagos Central Senatorial District.
On June 6, 2011, I, along with my other colleagues took the oath of office and I made a solemn promise to commit myself to the service of my constituents and to strive to meet all the commitments and responsibilities set forth.
It took me this long but glory be to God for making today a reality. There is no other date I would have chosen that would have been as significant as June 12. June 12 for us at the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) party reminds us always of the price paid to pave the way for the democratic dispensation we are currently experiencing for the past thirteen years.
Our struggles and commitment hold true to the saying by Thomas Paine: “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day that my child may have peace”. June 12, 1993 was a day that those of us who experienced it would never forget. Our nation rose as one to speak with one voice through an election adjudged as the freest and fairest in Nigeria’s political history. Sadly, the result was annulled by military fiat on June 26, 1993, bringing the entire nation to a standstill.
That day began a period of trouble, pain and death. Several lives were lost during this period, but at the end of six years of torture and the most horrific dictatorship that branded pro-democracy activists as its worst foes, democracy was restored again in Nigeria (1999).
Today we rejoice and remember that our joy did come with a price. I am performing this commissioning today; to always remember that our democratic freedom was paid for with a great prize. The tree of our liberty today was watered by the toils and blood of patriots.
Democracy today remains the best framework for representative and accountable governance, the inherent weaknesses and abuses notwithstanding. That is why, we must all on this historic occasion rededicate ourselves, renew our commitment and retool ourselves for the struggle to protect and defend our hard won democracy. On my part, I will continue with my relentless pursuit of those policies on education, gender rights, and social security for the aged and free and fair elections that will be of benefit to the great number of people. The opening of this constituency office will aid us better in understanding the position and agitation of our people.
We are open to you five days in a week; Monday to Friday from 9:00am – 5:00pm. I will personally be attending to some requests once every two weeks on Fridays between 10:00am -2:00pm.
I promise again to do my best to serve and uphold the ideals of our great party, especially our populist democratic objectives as entrenched in our party manifesto both at the federal and state levels.
Thank you all for coming. God bless you richly.
Long live, ACN! Long live, Lagos state! Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Eko ‘o ni baje o!
CONFRONTING OUR CHALLENGES; STAYING THE COURSE.