•Says “I’m Healthy”
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has on Monday returned to Nigeria on Monday after a brief vacation in London, dispelling rumours about his health.
Akpabio, who had earlier led a Nigerian delegation to the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva from July 29 to 31, arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 4 a.m.
He was received at the Presidential Wing by senators, aides, and supporters.
NPO Reports that there were speculations that Senate President Godswill Akpabio has been hospitalised in an unnamed hospital in London.
Fielding questions from journalists on arrival, Akpabio promised Nigerians robust legislative engagements on resumption.
He further justified the presence of a strong Nigerian delegation at the International Parliamentary Union in Geneva, assuring the people of more derivatives of democratic governance and effective collaboration with the other arms of government.
The 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Related Meetings, the Senate President maintained that parliamentary diplomacy was critical to achieving peace in the world and resolving conflicts.
Akpabio had called for more progress in parliamentary diplomacy, noting that though the Nigerian Parliament had explored the concept and achieved a myriad of successes, more could still be done.
He said the Parliament in Nigeria has played a crucial role in curbing polarisation and ensuring peace through legislation.”
Apart from the legislative function, he said the parliament also “employs mediation to address conflicts between non-governmental organisations and the government, as well as disputes involving labour unions.”
Sharing the progress and initiatives of the 10th National Assembly under his leadership, he said, “It has become imperative for the world to recognise the power of the collective voice in shaping a better future for all, as it is in a critical juncture in history.
“We stand at a pivotal moment in history, an intersection where the choices we make and the words that we speak, have the potential to positively shape the future of a world in constant crisis,” he said in his address at the assembly.