Presidential Media Aide, Stanley Nkwocha has described Vice President Kashim Shettima as a courageous, loyal and deeply humane leader whose service to Nigeria has been marked by conviction and compassion. In a heartfelt birthday message titled “A Birthday Note to a Leader I Have Come to Know,” Nkwocha reflected on……
Presidential Media Aide, Stanley Nkwocha has described Vice President Kashim Shettima as a courageous, loyal and deeply humane leader whose service to Nigeria has been marked by conviction and compassion.
In a heartfelt birthday message titled “A Birthday Note to a Leader I Have Come to Know,” Nkwocha reflected on his experience working with the Vice President, saying the opportunity had taught him valuable lessons about leadership, loyalty, courage and responsibility.
“Birthdays offer us a rare opportunity to look beyond titles, responsibilities, and the demands of public office, and simply acknowledge the person,” Nkwocha said.
He noted that while some lessons could be learnt from books, others could only be understood by observing people closely, particularly during difficult moments.
“Working with you has given me many of the latter lessons,” he stated.
According to him, he had witnessed the pressures associated with public service and moments when silence, retreat or convenience might have appeared to be easier options.
“Yet, through the changing seasons of public life, I have watched you remain remarkably grounded in your convictions, your friendships and your sense of duty,” Nkwocha said.
He also praised the Vice President’s personality beyond the trappings of public office, highlighting his humour, intellectual curiosity, loyalty and compassion.
“Perhaps what I appreciate most is that, behind the office and all its ceremony, there remains a deeply human side of you — the humour, the intellectual curiosity, the loyalty to people, the capacity to remember, and the instinct to reach out when it matters,” he said.
Nkwocha expressed gratitude for what he described as the “quiet gifts” of trust, belonging and encouragement that he had received from the Vice President, stressing that such qualities make people feel that their contributions matter.
Reflecting on the transient nature of political office, he said positions would eventually change, while today’s headlines would become historical records.
“Public office will eventually become history. Positions will change, motorcades will pass, and today’s headlines will become tomorrow’s archives,” he stated.
He added that the true measure of a person’s life should be found in the people they touched, the opportunities they created for others and the values they left behind.
Nkwocha prayed for the Vice President to be blessed with good health, peace and fulfilment, while asking Almighty Allah to continue to grant him wisdom and preserve his humanity, warmth and compassion.
“My prayer for you today, Your Excellency, is therefore not merely for many more years. I pray that those years will be rich in health, peace and fulfilment; that Almighty Allah will continue to grant you wisdom for the burdens ahead,” he said.
He further prayed that the Vice President would be able to look back on his years of public service with satisfaction, knowing that he gave his best when entrusted with responsibility.
Mr Nwokocha is the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Communication), Office of the Vice President.
