Immediate past national chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has declared that in his 80 years on earth, he has never been admitted to any hospital for even a night.
The Benin born Chief believed that God had been so partial to him.
Oyegun, at an elaborate birthday party in Abuja, Saturday night, also revealed that at 80, there wsa nothing he truly set his eyes upon that he didn’t achieve.
The International Conference Center (ICC), venue of the celebration was full to the brim with politicians, business men, captains of industries, religious leaders and some traditional rulers.
Addressing the gathering, Oyegun said: “At 80, I feel totally satisfied, totally happy that God has been kind to me. In fact, God has been partial towards me, I don’t know what I did right. Because in my total 80 years, there is nothing I truly set my eyes upon that I did not accomplish. I have enjoyed length of days. I have enjoyed absolutely good health. I have worked and interacted with some of the nicest people in this country.
“I was privileged to be part of forming APC. The fighting for the coming together of Nigeria’s opposition parties have been long and jettisoned before the advent of the APC. I have every reason to be thankful to God. I have every reason to be thankful to all of you who played one role or the other in making my life such a pleasant one. I stand here today and at 80, Ia haven’t single night on a hospital bed and I don’t know how to really thank God.
“I have met people who gave me hope that this nation will yet be great and it is my belief that the next level in which we are now embarking, with the new crop of Ministers, will indeed be the foundation for the greatness of this nation. We should stop being a nation of potentials. We are potentially great, we are potentially the leader of the black race. It is high time that these potentialities start being converted into reality. We are blessed with greatness. It is there and what we require is political commitment, political will, political courage to make the changes that are necessary.
Oyegun, however, called on the federal government to make merit a priority in appointing people to positions of authority.
“I want to emphasise merit. Up till now we have practised the doctrine of balancing and all of that which is very good at the time it was put in place. Fortunately today, I doubt that there is any corner of this country that didn’t have highly qualified Nigerians and the time has come for merit to become the sole determinant of positioning and placing people.
“Secondly, we embarked on the war against corruption. That is good and it has to be permanently featured. It is something that has to perforate thorough the state level to local government levels. We should not be left for a President Buhari as if it is one unusual man there who wants to fight everybody. No! It is something that we must totally internalize.
“Lastly, carrot and stick approach. While we are punishing those who are threatening the country either by corruption or any other means, we should at every time and every stage reward service to the nation either through national award or or just a simple invitation to the Presidency or whatever for those who have truly distinguished themselves. If you are punishing the bad ones, try to reward those who have served this nation faithfully,” Oyegun stated.
