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July 25, 2017
Dinner In Honour Of Commonwealth Speakers & Presiding Officers Of The African Region
REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT DINNER IN HONOUR OF SPEAKERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES OF THE AFRICAN REGION ON THE 25TH OF JULY, 2017.
PROTOCOLS
Many thanks to the Rt. Hon Speaker for his warm appreciation of the dinner. I trust that you all enjoyed it, the good quality is a reflection of the generous appropriation of the National Assembly.
I made sure that I cleared my plate so that when the distinguished Senators and Hon members come on their oversight visit, they will find no evidence of waste.
Next only to lawyers, politicians are the most maligned people in history, unfortunately, the right honourable Speaker and myself are both lawyers and politicians.
The redeeming feature in our company is the distinguished Senate President who is a medical doctor, again, unfortunately, his last medical assignment was decades ago, and he can no longer be trusted to perform any surgical operation lest he removes the heart instead of the tonsils.
Politicians are extraordinary people and I must say that I am proud to belong in this company of incredible human beings.
But my pleasure is even greater because I have the privilege of interacting with high-level politicians from all over Africa. You notice I said that I am proud to be in the company of politicians, despite what people say, we are often more loyal than most. There is the story of a politician and lifelong Republican in the US who was lying on his sickbed about to die. A few minutes before he died he said, “I want to change my party, I want to become a Democrat.” Why? His alarmed family members and party members remonstrated. He replied, “it is better that one of them dies than one of us. So tomorrow when it is announced they will say, a democrat died.” I can only ask our friends in the PDP also to ensure they cross over before they die.
Distinguished Speakers and Presiding officers in the African region, it really is a pleasure to have you here in Nigeria, I hope you have and will have time to enjoy Abuja. Please be sure to return for a holiday someday.
On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, I say welcome home and God bless you.
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