Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom state, has thanked God for granting his wife, Martha, good health and vitality at the golden age of 50, describing it as a milestone worth celebrating.
The governor made this known when he joined the people of Akwa Ibom state in a special thanksgiving service to mark the Golden Jubilee of the state’s first lady.
Speaking during the adoration service, held at the Later House Chapel, governor’s lodge, Uyo, Emmanuel said it was paramount to thank God for the special gift of life on a daily basis, more so for the blessing of having to celebrate 50th birth anniversary.
“Today is not a speech making day, but just to say Father we thank you for life; we thank you for sustaining us. Any day you live to see the next day is a bonus because once you go to bed, you don’t even determine whether you’ll wake up or not. People are born and die the same day,” he said.
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“People were born and died at year one, year two, year three, year ten and so on. So every year you have is a bonus. You’ve not done anything to merit that next year. So that is why we must thank God for sustaining my wife for fifty years.”
Reflecting on the journey so far, Mr. Emmanuel said his wife, Martha has spent half of her fifty years of life with him as they have never stayed apart in their nearly twenty-five years of living as a couple. He attributed the 25 years of bliss in their married life to God’s mercies and grace.
“I thank God for the years. By next year we will be doing our twenty-five years in marriage. So it’s been a good journey. At times people marry, take their wives to Canada, to US but, I think for the longest time we’ve ever separated is when she goes to deliver and then she comes back, which is always a short period. We’ve been together all through twenty-four years plus. So it’s just by the mercies and the grace of God,” he said.
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In her testimony, Martha Emmanuel, expressed gratitude to God for taking her through life to attain the age of fifty, which the bible terms the year of jubilee.
“It’s good to be fifty. What can I say to this awesome God? Someone like me; I’m so proud to be fifty. When I use to hear people talk about fifty, I was telling myself, when will I get there. By the grace of God today I am fifty. Hallelujah!”
Rendering several songs of praise, the Akwa Ibom first lady said there was no better to appreciate the benevolence of her life being preserved that to offer praises to God. She expressed her belief that whatever she has become in life is as destined by God from her creation, even when her parents did not know and therefore reaffirmed her faith and commitment to God.
Martha thanked her husband for being loving and available, and for taking her life further from where her parents stopped. She described Udom Emmanuel as, not just a good man but, an excellent husband.
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“God has given me a good husband. God has given me good children. God has blessed my home. I always tell people that care to know that I have the best husband in this whole world. A man that puts me first before any other person, even the children”, the first lady said.
She also thanked God for giving her the opportunity to fulfill her destiny of being a blessing to people.
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