The youngest and newbie reps from Kwara state sponsored mostly stagnant bill in the first year of the 10th National Assembly
The call for more youth representation in parliament has gained momentum, as young people seek to have a direct say in policies that affect their lives and the future of the country. With over 60% of Nigeria’s population under the age of 30, it is clear that the youth play a crucial role in shaping the nation’s future.
The 2023 elections saw an influx of quite a number of youths into the national assembly, which provided a ray of hope for Nigerians to begin to see new innovative ideas being introduced into the system. The 10th National Assembly did not only see an increase in the number of youth but also notable performances from them.
Newbie representative, Muktar Shagaya, who represents Ilorin west/Asa federal constituency, emerged as one of the top 10 bill sponsors in the House with a tally of 15. Unfortunately, a detailed report by OrderPaper revealed that 93.3 percent of Shagaya’s bills are stuck at the first reading stage and 6.6 percent are awaiting report. While bill sponsorship is important, bill progression is paramount, as the quantity of bills may not be effective if they do not progress through the legislative process to become laws.
ALSO READ: 10TH NASS REPORT CARD: 11 youngest Reps post 100 bills in one year
Similarly, Rep. Olawuyi Tunji sponsored 6 bills, of which 16.6 percent have been passed for concurrence while 83.3 percent are awaiting second reading. Rep. Aluko Yinka recorded 2 bills, 50 percent of which are awaiting report consideration and the remaining stuck at the first reading stage. Rep. Saba Adam sponsored 2 bills, both awaiting second reading. Meanwhile, two Kwara reps, Mohammed Bio and Tijani Ismail, both second term members, had no legislative footprint in terms of lawmaking in the first year of the 10th National Assembly.
In the senate, Sen. Saliu Mustapha, a newbie, sponsored 9 bills, all of which are stuck at the first reading stage. Sadiq Suleiman sponsored 6 bills, a majority of which are awaiting second reading while Lola Ashiru, who is a second-term senator, sponsored 5 bills, all stuck at the first reading stage.
STAR CHECK: Find out about all Kwara state lawmakers in the National Assembly here.
10th NASS Report Card: Read up on the performance scorecards of other senators, members of the House, and specialised categories here.
