SPEECH BY THE PRESDIENT OF THE SENATE, HIS EXCELLENCY, (DR.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI, CON, AT THE 10TH YEAR MEMORIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE – LATE SENATOR (CHIEF) EVAN ENWEREM ESQ. – HELD AT NAF CONFERENCE CENTRE, KADO, ABUJA, ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2018.
PROTOCOL.
1. I am honoured to be at the 10th Year Memorial Activities for the Late Senator (Chief) Evan Enwerem Esq., Former President of the Senate and first to hold the office in the extant Fourth Republic. I consider it a rare privilege to serve as Chairman of this memorial event in honour of a great parliamentarian. I wish to express my gratitude to Chief (Mrs.) Vivienne Enwerem, the dutiful Wife of the former President of the Senate and matriarch of the family, for her kind invitation to me.
2. With the launch of the book on the life of Senator Enwerem, the Memorial Lecture, the Leadership Foundation Luncheon and the Thanksgiving Service, one begins to appreciate the level of thinking and effort that went into putting these events together. Cumulatively, the activities pay homage to the winning character of Senator Enwerem. They speak, perhaps most significantly, to his role as an eminent lawmaker who made indelible contributions to putting the legislature on the right footing at the dawn of the Fourth Republic.
3. The book to be launched as part of these memorial activities is well timed, to aid in our process of individual reflection vis a vis the national project. The biography, however, does more than that, in its ability to place in the right historical context the life and times of the late Senator Enwerem. Titled, ‘Mature – The Remarkable Life Story of Senator Evan Enwerem’, I expect it will be an informative and interesting read. In fact, I know it is, because I have read some excerpts from the book.
4. Truth be told, no honour is too great to commemorate the late Senator Enwerem, who had the distinction of heading the Senate in 1999, after the Legislature had been sent into the cooler by the intervention of the military in 1993. After six years or so in the wilderness, the leadership of Chief Enwerem, as President of the Senate, was critical to placing the legislature on an assured footing as an arm of government, and in the reckoning of citizens. A seasoned statesman, he was able to provide the much needed stability in those early days; and his leadership style is remembered fondly by many who had the opportunity to benefit from his wisdom.
5. The book bears testimony to what was achieved, working across the political divide in 1999. We are told that he made it clear through his words and actions that he would strive for an inclusive Senate, and he worked for peace. He collaborated with his senatorial colleagues across board, irrespective of party or political antecedents, putting the country’s interest first.
6. It is a lesson to all of us who are in the saddle of leadership today, that we could all use a dose of the Enwerem example when in the hot seat. He worked with those who had worked against his emergence as President of the Senate; he won their respect, and was able to turn many of them into dedicated friends. One of them – Senator Abdallah Wali – is quoted in the book as saying: “Chief Enwerem was a gentleman to the core as the Senate President, and because of his magnanimity, we started very well” in the First National Assembly.
7. Ladies and gentlemen, the result of that cooperation and partnership is part of what we are benefitting from today in the 8th Senate, and which we strive to the best of our ability to emulate. Peace in the National Assembly is necessary for the growth of the legislature and for beneficial relationships with other arms of government, as well as for national progress. Looking back, I think the late Senator Enwerem would be proud of how far the legislature has come in the Fourth Republic, and its contribution to the growth of democracy in Nigeria. We, of course, are proud of his contribution in laying the right foundations for us. We are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us, and the late Senator Evan Enwerem is notable among them.
8. In closing, let me say, once again, what an honour it is to be here to participate in these events and to pay tribute to this great parliamentarian. We miss him; and we wish we could continue to tap into his well of knowledge, experience and wisdom. We are therefore grateful for this 10th Memorial event. No doubt, through the Leadership Foundation, Senator’s Enwerem’s legacy will live on. And through the Lecture, his ideas will continue to be propagated, and further serve as a launch pad for the generation of new ideas that will enrich society.
9. I encourage you all to enjoy these activities and take the opportunity to reflect on the sterling personality that inspired them. May his memory remain evergreen.
Thank you.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
