A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO ABIA’S STINGING BEE
Celebrating a Conscience That Refuses to Sleep
Today, Abia celebrates an unusual birthday—not of a person, but of a presence.
A symbol.
A temperament.
A reminder.
Happy Birthday to Abia’s Stinging Bee.
The Stinging Bee is not loud for attention. It buzzes because it must. It circles because vigilance is its nature. And when it stings, it is not out of malice, but out of duty—to protect the hive, to defend order, to warn against decay.
This Bee was born the moment Abia decided that governance should no longer be decorative. The moment questions were allowed to breathe. The moment numbers were forced to speak. The moment bills stopped pretending and began to explain themselves.
Bees do not destroy hives; they preserve them.
They do not chase applause; they produce value.
They do not sting everyone; they sting only those who threaten the balance.
So it is with Abia’s Stinging Bee.
Over time, the Bee has irritated complacency, unsettled entitlement, and exposed comfort built on disorder. It has reminded us that accountability is not hatred, that scrutiny is not sabotage, and that reform is rarely gentle. Progress often comes with a sting.
On this birthday, we celebrate what the Bee represents:
The courage to question
The discipline to insist on process
The patience to build systems
The honesty to accept that governance is work, not performance
Abia has had seasons of silence. It has endured eras where nothing buzzed, nothing warned, nothing defended the hive. Today is different. The Bee is alive. The hive is alert. And the future, though demanding, is guarded.
Happy Birthday to Abia’s Stinging Bee.
May it continue to buzz through falsehood.
May it continue to pollinate institutions with discipline.
And when necessary, may it continue to sting—firmly, lawfully, and for the common good.
Because a hive without a bee is vulnerable.
And Abia can no longer afford vulnerability.
Dr Uduma Nate
