National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has urged Nigerian leaders to make service to humanity and the culture of giving central to leadership, stressing that political office must translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
Yilwatda made the call on Saturday in Jalingo, Taraba State, where he marked his 58th birthday by sponsoring a medical and surgical outreach that benefited thousands of residents across the state’s three senatorial districts.
Rather than holding a conventional birthday celebration, the APC chairman dedicated the occasion to healthcare intervention, saying leadership should ultimately be measured by its impact on the people.
The programme, held at the Multipurpose Conference Hall of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, also featured the commissioning of projects at the medical centre.
Yilwatda said his choice of Taraba was deliberate, explaining that the intervention was designed to address the healthcare needs of underserved communities, particularly residents constrained by poverty, distance and other socioeconomic barriers.
He said a needs assessment was conducted before the exercise, which was subsequently spread across different parts of the state to ensure wider access to the intervention.
The outreach commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and proceeded to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Thousands of residents received medical attention during the exercise, while hundreds of patients requiring surgical procedures were also attended to.
Yilwatda said the intervention was more than a birthday gesture, describing it as a reflection of the type of leadership Nigeria needs at a time when citizens are demanding greater accountability and measurable results from those entrusted with public responsibilities.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political office holders and other leaders to regard giving back to society not merely as an occasional gesture but as an integral part of their responsibility to the people.
He maintained that sustainable national development could only be achieved when institutions are strengthened and citizens’ welfare remains at the centre of governance.
Reaffirming his commitment to service, Yilwatda said his overriding ambition was to make his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas commended the APC chairman for choosing to celebrate his birthday through a healthcare intervention, describing the initiative as a demonstration of compassion and responsible leadership.
Kefas said the medical and surgical outreach was particularly significant for residents who might otherwise have been unable to afford or access specialised healthcare services.
He also stressed the importance of partnerships among governments, institutions and individuals in addressing the needs of vulnerable citizens.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Yilwatda for making healthcare the focus of his 58th birthday celebration.
Pate said the decision to mark the occasion in Taraba and the North-East was significant, noting that access to healthcare remained fundamental to improving human welfare and strengthening national development.
He stressed that no society could achieve meaningful progress without a healthy population and commended the Taraba State Government, National Assembly members and residents for supporting the initiative.
The host of the celebration, Dr Aisha Adamu Mohammed, said the choice of FMC Jalingo further demonstrated Yilwatda’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and medical excellence.
She described the commissioned projects and medical outreach as valuable contributions to efforts to expand access to quality healthcare in the state.
The ceremony culminated in the cutting of Yilwatda’s 58th birthday cake and the commissioning of projects at FMC Jalingo.
Beyond the birthday celebrations, however, the occasion underscored a broader message from the APC chairman: that leadership should be judged not by the office occupied or privileges enjoyed, but by the lives touched, problems solved and lasting value created for society.
For Yilwatda, turning 58 was therefore not merely a celebration of another year, but an opportunity to reinforce his conviction that leadership finds its greatest meaning in service to humanity.
