 Family and friends strived out to celebrate Aladji Mohamed Al-Jibola Al-Aqba'i with a book launch in honor of the octogenarian in Lagos. The book titled The Rare Bed was written in commemoration of Aladji Al-Aqba'i's Ekiad birthday. The event attracted VIPs, royal highnesses, sons, and daughters of a worry kingdom and a host of others. A correspondent for George reports. From all walks of life, they gathered to celebrate Aladji Mohamed Al-Aqba'i at 80. The elder state man, a retired civil servant, served as the former head of service and permanent secretary in Lagos state. A friend and colleague of Aladji Al-Aqba'i, Franklin Adejumo, was the chairman of the occasion. He shared his experience with the celebrant while he was in active service. Aladji Al-Aqba'i was one of the best I've ever worked with in my life. He always worked without looking back, without eating. He was with me throughout. Any time I needed it, he was there. He was second to the permanent secretary. And that was the FFP, commanding the finance and the structure of the ministry. I'm very proud of him and I want him all to help me thank him. The octogenarian relished the moment as he gave thanks to God Almighty for keeping him alive. He said there is nothing like prayer and fasting. It is only the people of Almighty God. Those who know a little about me will tell you that I have a father who is a Muslim critic. He's a chief Imam of Ibeza. At every occasion that they gather to offer prayers, at the last count of the sitting, they will say please don't go yet, have this amount to the Torah, to the Koba, to the Shillekonch, to the Sisi. Pray for Muhammad Bushra, for God to give him his blessings. Al-Barika, and the Babam and the Torah, and the Kikire, and so on throughout my school age, throughout my service in particular in the legacy of the government, it has been the last time. The high point of the event was the unveiling of the book, which captured the celebrants as a rare bird. The author of the book had this to say. The only way to describe it is to say it is a rare bird, as suggested by the title. In all ramifications, Alakba is in his own world, in his own class. I am in the business of writing about the serving Nigerians, and I think that it's not the money bag, it's not holding any political office, it's turning it, someone like that, his life needs to be documented for austerity. More encomiums came from the Royal Highnesses, Al-Ajaikun of Iqbesa land, Abba Abdulaziz Akinde, Olu of Ilu Kogun Araromi of Iqbesa Kingdom, Abba Jimo, Ikubamola, and from others. He's a true son of Iqbesa, so while we have a gap between the late Al-Ajaikun for almost about 10, 11 years, the virtue of his name is demonstrated that he's actually a Shihuah Jew of Iqbesa land. I'm happy for him that he's been able to achieve this landmark heated by day, and trying to document all his life, his experiences, which is going to be a good ingredient for those of us who are looking up to him. He loves everyone, he loves us to everybody, honest, straightforward, a person that is in high post, and he wants others to be in high post, God help him and everybody. He's a man to be honoured for what he did and what he meant to the service of legal state and to our worry land, wishing the very best, Heaven's very best of blessings. Today, Al-Ajide and their mum could not hide their joy as they shared fond memories. I was a very stubborn child, but spanking me, I think throughout my growing up, he has only sparked me once. But he brings out the best in me, he talks, he doesn't condemn you, so if he scolds you now, you can talk to him the next minute. I don't like anything, anything I want to ask him, I can't. Because everybody's always, if I lack on you, that's stubborn. You still get away with all this kind of... My earliest memories of that are that of being spulksy with gifts, I always tell people that my dad gets the best gift any time he travels. I can be rest assured that whatever it is he's buying, quality, the best of the best kind of gift. He's a very, very generous person, he's down to earth and he's a very religious man. I don't think any words can do justice, no words can qualify how much my dad means to me, how much of an impact there has been in my life since the first memories I have about anything. I've always had that father figure and I'm very happy it's 80, because you know, he has been able to like impact loads of life, not just myself alone, like in my tribute to the book I wrote that like my dad is a dad of all. I am a man of the people, he's somebody that is selfless and a worry man to the core and a restless person, he's always ready to assist. To know him is to love him, is to like him, he's an amiable person and happy for him. In 80 years, on the land of the living, this world is celebrated and I thank God on his behalf. I say, Alhamdulillah, I want him to live for a very, very long time. The rare bird, meaning an exceptional individual, in 14 chapters and 211 page book captures Alaji Muhammad Ajibullah Alakbayi's assertive lifestyle and one of which is the ability of the celebrant to stay away from food for a very long time. Paul George plus TV News.