“I Want To Remain in National Assembly” …Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe

"I Want To Remain in the National Assembly" ...Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe

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Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe is one of the old faces in the Kwara State political circle. He served as Majority Leader in the Kwara State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003.

 

He challenged former Senate President, Bukola Saraki during the 2011 senatorial election but was defeated. Oloriegbe returned in 2019 and emerged victorious.

Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe

The Senator who currently represents Kwara Central in the Senate said he has not given thought to the idea of switching over to the executive in the near future.

 

Oloriegbe who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health said he has a sentimental attachment to the legislature and he gave reasons.

 

‘I have always been a legislator even during my university years I was a legislator.

 

I was a three-term member of the Student Legislative Assembly at the Ahmadu Bello University; we even had to impeach an SUG President.

 

As a legislator and a parliamentarian, the more years you spend the better you become and you will focus more on the country,’ he said.

 

 

The senator who said he has sponsored bills that include; The Mental Health and Substance Abuse Bill, National Health Insurance Commission Bill, Psychiatric Hospital Act Amendment Bill to Establish Federal Psychiatric Hospital in Budo-Egba , Kwara State and a bill seeking the establishment of Federal College of Education in Afon, Kwara State also added that he has seen several projects through  to completion in his senatorial district.

 

 

 

Among the projects are the construction and installation of seven solar powered boreholes at seven villages in Warah Oshin Egbejila Ward, construction of Agricultural laboratory  and supply of agricultural equipment  at Ballah Community School, Ilorin, while the projects that are ongoing include the construction of erosion control drainage at Abata Babaoyo/Abata Oloduku area of Ilorin and the construction of Afon-Abayawo-Sapati Road.

 

Oloriegbe said he has facilitated employment opportunities for his constituents in the para- military and federal agencies.

 

Apart from renovating the Garri processing factory at Ita-Amo, Ilorin, that had become dysfunctional for years and providing financial assistance for 50 persons among the women working in the factory, startup capitals were also provided for 150 small scale entrepreneurs.

 

The senator also said his constituency office obtained JAMB forms for three hundred students in the senatorial district while hand sanitizers and face masks were distributed to his constituents after the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

 

 

Five million naira was later distributed to constituents during the coronavirus lockdown while food parcels were made available to 5,000 households during the period.

 

 

The senator also said he has given the needed support to the state government’s anti-coronavirus efforts which include the ongoing molecular lab project at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital courtesy of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.

 

 

Oloriegbe stated this at a programme organized by the Correspondents’ Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kwara state council penultimate week asserting that the intra-party conflict in the Kwara state APC has ended. He, however, gave reasons why such had to be recorded in the first place.

 

 

‘We have overcome the crisis, but you know it was unavoidable, we came into power through a revolution and a movement. You know it was an individual that was controlling everyone before we came into the picture.

 

 

We have overcome the crisis we do not have any option than to come together because of our people; the Kwarans’ he said.

 

 

The senator, who also said carrying out an investigation and knowing the cause of maternal death recorded anywhere in Nigeria has become necessary, noted that doing that and knowing the causes and the contributory factors will help to save lives.

 

 

Oloriegbe said he has come up with a bill that will make it mandatory to report all maternal deaths and have them investigated. The bill has according to him passed the first reading.

 

‘Pregnancy is not a disease; it should therefore not lead to death so if such a thing happens it must be investigated. I am sponsoring a bill in respect of that and it has passed the first reading,’ he said.

 

-Akinlolu Abayomi