Akpabio to U.S. envoy: Link us with your Congress for proper training

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has called for more and better collaboration between Nigeria and the United States, particularly in the area of capacity building for the legislators across Nigeria.

Akpabio made the call in Abuja on Tuesday while playing host to a delegation led by the Charge D’ Affaires for the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, David Greene.

The Senate President urged Greene to connect Nigerian lawmakers with U.S. Congress and the Democratic Institute for them to have proper training.

He said the 10th Senate would be looking forward to much more and better collaboration particularly with the U.S. Congress and the Democratic Institute in the United States.

Akpabio said: “The 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will be looking forward to much more and better collaboration than what happened in the past particularly when somebody who believes strongly in democracy is at the head.

“I am a true democrat and I believe in American democracy. So I look forward to collaborating with you. Please link us properly with your Congress and the Democratic Institute in the U.S. for us to have proper training and re-training in order for us to build capacity for our legislators in general.

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“Not just in the Senate. Not just in the House of Representatives but across the nation. So I welcome you and I thank you for sparing the time and I assure you, on behalf of my colleagues, that we will do everything to intensify and bond seriously the existing good relationship between Nigeria and the U.S.”

Akpabio also described the United States as a bastion of democracy in the world and expressed Nigeria’s desire to gain from her wealth of experience.

He added: “This democracy that we are practicing, I think, America is a bastion of democracy in the world and every true democrat believes strongly in the American democracy.

“We also took our model from you. So we would like to gain from your wealth of experience in order to smoothen the edges of very young democracy.

“For American democracy to get to where it is today, I think, it must have taken you over 240 years. So for us, we believe strongly that this fourth Republic that we are in, has taken us just roughly under 25 years. We need partners like you and America particularly has done very well for all democracies across the world.”

In his remarks, Greene said the courtesy visit was to congratulate Akpabio on his election and on his emergence as the Senate President as well as to introduce himself and express his aspirations that “we will be able to work together to achieve great things for both Nigerians and the American people”.

The Star