By Fabian Enenche Owoicho
It is with deep humility, utmost sobriety and profound appreciation that I accept this award for my avowed “excellent services to the House and to humanity in general”. I thank you most sincerely for your eagle eyes, altruism, courage and generosity for enrolling me in the Benue State Legislature’s Hall of Fame today. A Scottish sports Legend, Nelson Henderson once proclaimed that “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit”. To a large extent, I contributed my “widow’s mite” to the service of this Legislature and humanity during my tenure of service here, from 1992-2021. The services I rendered in the public interest during that period were the trees I planted under whose shade I did not expect to sit.
Pablo Ruiz Picasso, the late Spanish Painter, Sculptor, Printmaker, Ceramist and theatre designer put this thought in a more popular way: “Life’s purpose is to discover and utilize one’s talents for the service of humanity”. Unfortunately, many people have not been able to discover their talents while many other have refused to utilize their talents for the service of humanity. This is a clear violation of the express provisions of the fifth to the tenth commandments of the Decalogue, which mandate us to serve humanity. Hence, the grave is the richest repository of untapped talents and treasures.
Chad Kawa’s post on Facebook, which I assessed on 23rd April, 2025 makes a simpler case for service to humanity as follows:
“Rivers do not drink their own water.
Trees do not eat their own fruit.
The sun does not shine on itself
And flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves.
Living for others is a rule of nature.
We are born to help each other.
No matter how difficult it is, life is good when you are happy. But much better when others are happy because of you.”
The most important motivation for serving humanity is that it is an entry qualification for Heaven as stipulated by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 25, verses 31 – 46. Quod Erat Demonstrandum (Q.E.D).
Your award to me today is no doubt in recognition of many things, including the following:
- My coordination of legislative internship from 1999 – 2019;
- My role as the principal speech writer to the House Administration from 1999 – 2019;
- My compilation and presentation of key chamber statistics from 1999 – 2019;
- My historic, unprecedented introduction of chamber brief to the Benue State House of Assembly in 2000 A.D;
- My promotion of Bill Digests for Hon. Members;
- My promotion of Legislative, issue and policy memoranda in the Assembly from 2003 till 2021;
- My robust, unabashed promotion of and advocacy for parliamentary networking;
- My drafting of the first authorized book on the Benue State House of Assembly titled Path Breaker: Benue State House of Assembly: 1999 – 2003. Makurdi: Midag Press, 2006;
- My authorship of Making our Mark: The Legislative Research And Drafting Training of Trainers Programme in U.S.A And Nigeria: Makurdi; Midag press, 2004.
- My drafting of the Standing Rules of The Benue State House o Assembly used from 10th July, 2012 to 24th May, 2023;
- My Secretaryship of the House Standing Committee on Rules and Business from 1999 – 2019, despite its various mutations in nomenclature. Indeed, the longest serving secretary of any House standing committee in the history of Benue State House of Assembly; And
- Finally, my adherence to meritocracy, equity, fair play and justice during my career in the Benue State Legislature irrespective of gender, creed, ethnic group or social status of those I had to relate with.
However, God’s recognition is best. This is because the understanding and purpose of human beings are limited and ephemeral, while God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. Ecclesiastes chapter 12, verse 13 shows us the pathway to everlasting genuine recognition and award: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”.
Your Honor, Honorable members, esteemed colleagues, this august Assembly must be attentive to Legislative moves at the National Assembly in particular and politics nation-wide. These currents must be analyzed and addressed promptly and holistically with a view to contributing your own quota to nation-building. Similarly, the recent designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” by the United States President, Donald Trump, should not provoke us to split our hairs. Rather it should be taken as another wake-up call to recalibrate Nigeria to deliver the greatest good to all Nigerians. It is time to RETHINK, RETOOL AND REBUILD NIGERIA! This is an investable, bankable and scalable imperative.
In line with my famed “excellent services to the House and to humanity in general”, I humbly wish to present a copy of my book, AGBITI: ADMIRAL, PATRIOT AND GENTLEMAN, Malthouse, Lagos, 2022, to the Benue State House of Assembly, through the Chair of the Legislative officers’ welfare Scheme, Dr. Mary Mnena Tyoakaa. This presentation is in recognition of the strategic role of legislative officers in this Assembly. I urge all members of staff of this Assembly to work well to earn instead of signing off their salaries. In the same vein, I encourage the Management of this Assembly to be committed to developing the capacity of their staff.
At this particular juncture, I want to acknowledge the efforts of His Excellency, Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s Administration in collaborating with the various branches of the state Government for the good of the state. The payment of salaries of civil servants, retirement benefits and some arrears of personal emoluments will undoubtedly motivate civil servants to discharge their duties more creditably. Like Oliver Twist, serving and retired civil servants are still praying for the settlement of the remaining arrears of inherited personal emoluments. God help us to do His perfect will in Jesus name, amen!
Esteemed Legislative officers, I once more thank you WHOLE-HEARTEDLY for your kind consideration in recognizing me for this Award for my acclaimed “excellent services to the House and to humanity in general”.
God bless Nigeria, Amen!
The author, a former Deputy Clerk of the Benue State House of Assembly, delivered the text during a reception of an award from the Legislative Officers’ Welfare Scheme, Benue State House of Assembly, Makurdi, November 24th, 2025 for his “EXCELLENT SERVICES TO THE HOUSE AND TO HUMANITY IN GENERAL”
