*Photo R-L: Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Abba Moro during the visit *
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday led a delegation of the Senate to the Abuja residence of the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro to condole the Benue Senator over the death of his son and grandson.
The Senator’s son, Victor Moro, who just returned to Nigeria after completing his studies at a Turkish University and waiting to be deployed for his National Youth Service Corps programme, died in an auto crash at Asokoro in Abuja on Friday and his grandson Abba Moro Jr died on Saturday.
In his remarks, Akpabio said when he and his Distinguished colleagues heard of the tragedy, they decided to abridge the day’s business to enable them pay a condolence visit to the Senator and his family stressing that “an injury to one is an injury to all.”
Referring to an earlier conversation with Senator Abba Moro about the death of his son, the Senate President said: “From the narration when I phone you, you informed me that the boy died in Asokoro on his way to the Barracks to register at a gym and that he died because some cows suddenly entered the road and so he tried to dodge. Another vehicle tried to dodge also, from opposite direction, and they ended up crashing into one another. The boy died on the spot.
“The circumstances of the death are part of the issues we grapple with on a daily basis in the Senate, on how we can have a better society, on how we can also have controlled movement of our cattle.
“We need the cattle and the cattle also provide sources of livelihood to people. When it comes to causing death, then it means our various discussions are in line with reality and the need to ensure that we have a much more regulated situation.
“Mr President has recently visited Brazil to sign some MoUs with a view to bringing about livestock ranching, to bring sanity to our roads. Probably this is not the first but we will like it to be the last.
“We as Christians, together with many of us who are Muslims, we believe that anything that happens, we must give thanks to God and take it as the will of Almighty God.
“I know you have accepted the will of God. You have accepted the situation which could have been prevented only by God. He could have decided not to go that time to register at the gym. He could have postponed it but who knows whether he could have gone through other means because if it was destined for him to go, there is no human being that could have stopped it.
“But it is very painful that young children like that, for their lives to be cut short at such tender ages. None of us here know how to condole you. Neither do we know how to condole your wife. We also cannot tell you to accept the situation but you have to accept the situation because you have no control. Life belongs to God. God determines when you are born. God determines when you leave.
“So for us as a Senate, just to let you know that your loss is our loss. You have been a stabilising factor in the Senate. You are highly respected. You are a great leader in this country. On behalf of the 10th Senate and even our colleagues in the House of Representatives, represented by one of us, we want to say please accept our condolences.”
In his response, Senator Moro thanked his colleagues for the visit saying that he was further strengthened by their words of encouragement.
He said: “If it is not God, why will a son die on Friday and another son die on Saturday. If anything, I feel strengthened by your presence. And I’m very happy and appreciate your kind words.
“Your visit and your words of encouragement have strengthened my resolve to contribute anything that is in me to help the Senate to grow this country.”