Comdr. Timkere Essien

Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Congratulations are in order to Uko Akwa Ibom, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio.

Happy birthday to me.
Thank you God of Timkere Essien 🙏

This was the circulated photo of a vulture waiting for a starving Sudanese girl to die so it can feast on her. It was taken by Kevin Carter, a prolific photojournalist, during the fa mine of 1993 in Sudan. This photo later won Kevin the Pulitzer prize for an 'exceptional' caption.

However, Kevin later got depressed and took his own life four months after his world wide celebration as a skillful photographer. He fell to depression. His depression began when during an interview ( a phone-in programme), someone asked him what happened to the child. *"I did not wait to see what happened after this shot as I had a flight to catch.... ".* And the person replied, "I put it to you that there were two vultures that day; one had a camera". This statement sank Kevin as he constantly thought of the statement, he got depressed and ended his own life.

In whatever we do, let's consider humanity first before what we can gain. Kevin Carter, may still have been alive today had it be he helped that little child.

We have not truly lived, until our lives have become the stars and sunshine of someone else.

Search within you and if there is that one person you feel you can help start now tomorrow might be too late.

Although I find myself in complete alignment with those who believe there is no new year or old year but a continuum of infinite time. The calendar arrangements - both the Julian calendar credited to Julius Caesar and Gregorian calendar of Pope Gregory X111 that replaces it, were all attempts to calculate time, its cycle and the movement of the sun, and the months January - December were named after Roman deities, emperors and others.

Nevertheless, it is worth celebrating the blessing of living at anytime and moment and seeing the breaking of a new day. The truth is that, time is infinite but we are finite. As time passes we are melting like ice into the atmosphere.
It is therefore instructive we receive every opportunity of time with gratitude, hope and willingness to make positive difference.

Going by the current calculation of time, this is a new year but certainly what we shall experience shall be repulse of our actions and inactions - the actions and consequences formula is timeless. It is therefore necessary we imbibe, inculcate renew our minds continuously in a way that would make each day meets us better than yesterday. It is the new steps, approaches and mindset towards life that will make the year new for us.

Conversely, May I poised that there's a prime mover of all things - God. He has blessed us with life and this is the ultimate blessing. May HE guide us this new year to discover right paths and live in love, unity and peace - all to HIS glory.

Happy new year, my family, friends, leaders and mentors.

If red roses
Still blossom
In the morning
Showing us beauty
at a glance...

If the soil stil harbours
Our hard seeds
Nurturing them to yield
there best...

If the gentle breeze
Stil caresses
Our sun-burnt skin
Soothing us with kind
affection...

If the sun still smiles
If d moon still smiles
down her love
Shaming d dark night;

Then let us still
Hold hands
in love
For each sincere
Smile on our faces
Smash countless pains;
Let's still hold hands
And talk PEACE