 It's such a joy to join members of the family, friends, and associates from all over the world to celebrate my great friend and dear brother, Mr. Awakalu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, on his 70th birthday. What a great and mighty God we serve. To him be all glory, honor, and adoration for seven outstanding decades on earth. I first met the much younger Awakalu in 1981, about 42 years ago, when we were both lecturers at the University of Lagos Faculty of Law. Our offices were next to each other. We were in the same department, the Department of Public Law. Our birthdays were a day apart, I on the 8th of March and he on the 9th of March. We became great friends and intellectual companions as well. His reputation as a man of prodigious intellect had gone before him. He led his class in Ife from the first year to the final year, winning practically all the notable prizes. In legal practice, his forensic abilities are in a distinct class. His erudition and scholarship, even in those early years in academia, already singled him out among spears. But perhaps what was most important for me was his personal integrity, his honesty, and forthrightness. Being a smart and able lawyer is far more common than finding a reliable, trustworthy individual whose word is his bond. An hour has flew through the years that is not only reliable and trustworthy, his word is always his bond. Our left the University for Greener Pastures in legal practice and I remained in the University and was then appointed special assistant to the then Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, His Excellency George Bola-Jibola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria. A blessed memory. When the opening came for his second special assistant and his excellency asked my opinion, I told him I knew the best man for the job. Of course, the best man for the job was our, the rest is history. Our and I, while serving in the Ministry of Justice, co-edited at least five books. Again, he and I served as Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the new Civilian Dispensation from 1999. He as Attorney General in Abia State and I as Attorney General in Lagos State. He went on to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and established a lucrative legal practice here in Abuja. Although he fails to disclose to us just how lucrative that legal practice is. Himself, my dear sister, decided to give me the honor of being Godfather to Somkele, their son, when he was born. And Somkele has worked with me for the past four years as special assistant to the President on economic matters. My dear brother, our on your 70th birthday, I thank the almighty God for his faithfulness in your life. He has enabled you to serve your country and your state, your profession and community with distinction at the highest levels. I pray that the coming years of your life will be even more glorious than the years past. That you will see even greater victories and greater successes. And that you and your wife will see the outstanding successes and elevation of your children and their children. Enjoy in peace, good health and prosperity. And as your days, so shall your strength, so shall your wisdom and so shall your favor with the almighty God in Jesus' mighty name. Happy birthday, my dear brother.