Akpabio Walks Past Children Celebrating Him on International Children’s Day

On Tuesday, the President of Nigeria’s Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, overlooked a group of children who had gathered from three different schools in Abuja to celebrate International Children’s Day in his honor at the National Assembly.

Each year, selected schools are invited to the parliament to mark the occasion of Children’s Day, with the Senate President traditionally delivering a speech. This address usually includes messages of hope, inspiration, and information on governmental efforts to support the Nigerian child.

However, Akpabio bypassed the young attendees without acknowledging them, despite the presence of media personnel capturing the moment.

LMSINT MEDIA gathered that the students, who represented Our Lady of Fatima Sisters Academy in Jabi, Catherina International Academy in Dawaki, and Lead British International School in Gwarimpa, turned out in large numbers only to be left disappointed.

One female teacher, who chose to remain anonymous, told LMSINT MEDIA that the incident could have a discouraging effect on the children. She added that many of the students could not even recognize Senator Akpabio among the officials in his entourage.

According to her, they had spent over three hours waiting for the Senate President, hoping to hear from him, but he failed to engage with them or offer any words of support.

Reflecting on previous celebrations, the teacher noted that past Senate Presidents would typically welcome and speak to the children, leaving them with messages that inspired confidence and optimism.

She said, “We’ve been here for over three hours under the coordination of the Sergeant-At-Arms, yet the Senate President did not offer us any address.

“A lot of the children only recognize him from television. You members of the press also understand that this outing is part of their educational excursion, aimed at broadening their knowledge.”