Remarks by Hon. (Dr.) Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, PhD, on Nigeria’s 64th Independence Celebration

 

Fellow distinguished constituents of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency of Oyo State, I congratulate you on the occasion of Nigeria’s 64th independence.

Sixty-four years ago, Nigerians celebrated independence after long being under British colonial rule. The historic moment was a turning point in the struggle of the Nigerian nationalists who put their lives on the front lines for Nigeria to become an independent entity where all her socioeconomic and political operations are administered by the people of Nigeria.

Since independence on October 1, 1960 and its subsequent attainment of republican status on October 1, 1963, Nigeria has produced leaders both under military and democratic systems, coupled with a series of political instability and civil war, which brought the development of the most populous black nation to its knees for years—the challenge to which its aftermath, despite its big scar on our nation’s history, we remain one and strong country.

Our resilience and patience in the face of adversity, among other untold economic challenges being faced by the Nigerian people, is remarkable, and it is evidence that we can always overcome anything and stand together to put our beloved nation on the pathway to growth and development.

Dear people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North, I am deeply grateful for the mandate given to me freely on February 25, 2023, to represent you in the Nigerian House of Representatives. I hold this privilege jealousy, and I will continue to demonstrate in my stewardship that your trust in me is not in vain.

In the last 15 months, I have launched a series of initiatives and programmes that empower our youth and enhance the academic performance of our students in both public and private schools, for we know that an investment in education is an investment in the future. Also, we have prioritised infrastructural development in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency, which has resulted in the construction of many facilities, including but not limited to cassava processing machines in three communities of the constituency, solar-powered coldroom, road construction and rehabilitation of the abandoned Chief Magistrate Courts, Igboora. We have created job opportunities for over 30 constituents in the last 15 months, empowering hundreds of constituents in digital skills and poultry farming.

We have also ensured accessible representation and legislative assignments, which have culminated in a number of bills and motions. Our support for education through recognition of brilliantly performing students, healthy competitions among senior secondary schools to encourage academic competitiveness and payment of external examination fees, and extension of scholarships and grants has earned us recognition from across and outside Nigeria. We have also supported farmers through the provision of fertilizer and grants. We have facilitated the construction of additional school buildings to address the infrastructural deficit in the constituency’s academic environment and installed many motorised boreholes in our towns and villages to ease constituents’ access to clean water; we have created a platform for individuals to showcase their talents; and ICT centres, as well as other infrastructural projects, are currently in the works.

In the spirit of Nigeria’s 64th independence, in the next few days, we will be providing 40,000 exercise books to all secondary school students as well as school uniforms to some primary school pupils in the federal constituency to relieve the high financial implications the materials pose on the parents of the students and to complement His Excellency, Engr. Oluwaseyi Makinde’s sustainable efforts in providing good education in Oyo State.

Fellow constituents, in September this year, OrderPaper, a Nigeria’s foremost independent parliamentary monitoring organisation and policy think tank that bridges the gap between people and parliament, released its annual report, which showed that I was the only federal lawmaker from Oyo State with two bills in concurrence, in the first anniversary of the 10th National Assembly, the report analysed how our bills had the best performance in the first calendar year of the National Assembly out of all the federal lawmakers from the pacesetter state. The two bills currently in concurrence are: Federal Medical Centre, Igboora and The Institute of Economists. This feat is a testament to our sheer efforts in bringing real development to the people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency and Nigeria as a whole. In the same month as well, I was voted among the 10 best lawmakers out of 360 members of the House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly in preparation for the 2024 NASSNEWS Award. NASSNEWS is the number one parliamentary weekly newspaper, covering the 36 states of the House of Assembly across Nigeria, with a mission to bridge the gap between parliament and the general public, facilitate genuine information and educate the masses about lawmakers’ activities across the country.

Our data collection of unemployed graduates in our constituency has continued to experience an impressive surge due to the assurance and our transparency in the facilitation of employment opportunities for teeming graduates in our constituency regardless of party affiliation and socioeconomic background.

Given the number of graduates in our database, every day, we see the need to go above and beyond to create more job opportunities for the people of our constituency and Nigeria as a whole, this I continue to do on a daily basis by virtue of my being the Deputy Chairman of the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Federal Character and the instrumentality of the National Assembly of Nigeria to grill heads of various ministries, agencies and parastatals of federal government of Nigeria who have failed to comply with the principle of Federal Character as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution which is the just, fair and equitable distribution of Nigerian resources among the various federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

With that said, as we go through one of the most challenging moments of our nation’s history, marked by economic hardship, we have so much to celebrate in our beloved constituency and Nigeria as a whole. I urge everyone to remain steadfast and have faith in the project Nigeria. I am confident that Nigeria will overcome its challenges, and we will reap the rewards of our collective sacrifices, ensuring a prosperous future for ourselves and yet-unborn generations.

I will continue to be the representative that speaks your voice and the one you will always see his tangible impact on our constituency. Let us rise above our differences and work towards a common goal—a Nigeria that is united, prosperous and just for all.

Happy Independence Celebration

Hon. (Dr.) Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, member representing Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency
Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Federal Character
Chairman, Nigeria-Romania Friendship Group
October 1, 2024