Akpabio added, “Some people would drink alcohol and drive home while others would drink and drive to paradise.”
By Jeffrey Agbo
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has advocated against smoking and taking alcohol, noting that their side effects have made him abstain from them.
Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, stated this while admonishing students of various secondary schools across the country who participated in the grand finale of the National Quiz Competition organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
The theme of the competition was “The Legislature And Democracy”.
Akpabio commended the participating schools for getting to the finals of the exercise and urged the youth to steer clear of vices that could affect their dreams and aspirations in life.
He specifically urged them to refrain from taking alcohol or engaging in smoking any form of substance that could be injurious to their health.
He said, “You should strive to become visionary leaders in the future by abstaining from things that would truncate your dreams and goals.
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“In my case, I have never smoked cigarettes or taken alcohol before. This is because, growing up, I listened to parental guidance.
“As a kid, I usually see a man who would stagger on the road and fall into the gutters. I asked my mum who told me it was because he was drunk.”
Akpabio added, “Some people would drink alcohol and drive home while others would drink and drive to paradise.”
Director General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said similar competitions were held at the state level, involving secondary schools drawn from the three senatorial zones in the 36 states.
He said the participating schools emerged from a competitive process with the School for the Gifted in Gwagwalada, representing the North Central and the FCT Zone.
He said the ‘Pen Resource Academy represents the North East, while ‘Government Pilot Secondary School, Daura’, represents the North West.
Sulaiman said, “Representing the South-South and the South-East are ‘Community Secondary Uyo, Akwa Ibom State’, and ‘Saint Theresa’s College Nsukka, Enugu State’, respectively.
“Lastly, ‘the Greater Tomorrow International School, Arigidi-Ikare Akoko, Ondo State’, represents the South West.”
At the end of the keenly contested event, Saint Theresa’s College Nsukka, Enugu State won the competition.
Greater Tomorrow International School, Arigidi-Ikare Akoko, Ondo State came second while the School for the Gifted in Gwagwalada came third.
