President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has pledged that the government will work with hospitals and clinics across the country, which he said have “for decades been the refuge of the sick and the poor.”
Akpabio made the declaration at Obot Akara, Akwa Ibom State, during the opening ceremony of the Second Plenary Session of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, where he chaired the event.
He said the Tinubu administration would also strengthen schools that “train not only the mind but also the soul,” uphold justice and human rights, and partner with faith-based institutions in equipping young people for the future.
“In healthcare, we shall work with your hospitals and clinics, which for decades have been the refuge of the sick and the poor. In justice and human rights, we shall uphold laws that defend the dignity of every Nigerian, regardless of tribe or creed. In youth empowerment, we shall join hands with faith-based institutions to train, to inspire, and to equip our young men and women to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” Akpabio said.
He stressed that the 10th Senate had sought to legislate with conscience, citing the Student Loan Act, the passage of a new minimum wage, and the restraint of tariff hikes as measures to protect the common man.
The Senate President also recalled the Church’s historic role in defending democracy during Nigeria’s military era, noting that clerics such as Archbishop Gabriel Ganaka and Cardinal Anthony Okogie gave courage to citizens in difficult times.
Calling for patience from Nigerians as the government lays the foundation for reforms, Akpabio likened the process of nation-building to the gradual construction of a cathedral, built “stone by stone, prayer by prayer, hand by hand.”
“Let us therefore renew hope in the Nigerian enterprise. Let us believe again that our land can be great, that our children can inherit a future brighter than our present. Let us bind the wounds of division, banish the cynicism of despair, and walk together—Church and State, pulpit and parliament, faith and policy—towards the dawn,” he declared.
