On the occasion of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa’s 80th birthday, Dapo Akinrefon, the governor of Cross River State, paid a heartfelt homage to her, calling her “a lighthouse upon our political shore and a matriarch whose courage has shaped the destiny of our people.”
Governor Otu praised the Ita-Giwa’s decades of public service and national significance in a statement made by Mr. Linus Obogo, his chief press secretary and special adviser on media.
“A testament to resilience forged in conviction and refined by sacrifice,” he remarked, was the celebrant’s journey through Nigeria’s political terrain.
“From the House of Representatives to the Senate chambers, you walked the high corridors of duty with regal steadiness, bearing Cross River on your shoulders with grace and steel,” the governor described in his accolades.
The governor recalled her crucial role in Bakassi matters and pointed out that the term “Mama Bakassi” was not bestowed ceremoniously but rather through unwavering advocacy.
“That name is not ornamental,” Otu remarked. It is an oath of allegiance to a displaced and troubled people. It talks about presence, sacrifice, and unusual empathy during trying times.
He also emphasized her involvement in national duties, such as her work as a Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
It is an acknowledgement of competence in and of itself to be invited into the inner sanctum of national governance. He said, “She brought the honor of Cross River to the very center of the federation.”
The governor also commended Ita-Giwa’s legislative accomplishments, highlighting her work on the Niger Delta, women’s affairs, foreign affairs, and environment committees.
She never spoke in a provincial tone. He claimed that although it had a national resonance, it was firmly anchored in Cross River culture.
Otu called her “a moral sentinel in defense of womanhood and vulnerable lives” for her support of the fight against human trafficking and exploitation. She showed that leadership is about conscience as much as it is about passing laws by taking on such atrocities.
“May the Almighty renew your vigor like the eagle’s and grant you many more years of impact,” said Governor Otu, who prayed for the celebrant’s renewed strength and lasting legacy. Due to the birth of Florence Ita-Giwa, Cross River is now taller. We honor her age today, but we also honor her lasting legacy.
