Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Senate, yesterday, resolved to name one of its committee rooms after the late Olubadan of Ibadan Land, Oba Lekan Balogun, being a former senator.
Oba Balogun died on Friday, March 15, 2024 at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, at age 81, after a brief illness, two years after ascending the throne on March 11, 2022.
Senate’s resolution on immortalising the late monarch was sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Sharafadeen Abiodun Ali (APC Oyo South).
Ali, in his motion, informed the Senate that the late Olubadan was a leader per excellence and, community developer and service-driven politician, which culminated in his election as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2003.
“The late Olubadan was a man of peace and custodian of culture and values of the Yoruba people,” he added.
The two other Senators from Oyo State, Yinus Akintunde (Central) and Addulfai Buhari (North), also contributed to debate on the motion by informing the Senate on how the late monarch impacted positively on the lives of those who came across him while alive.
Senator Buhari said the book written by the late monarch, titled: “Arrogance of Power”, given to him in 2003, when he won election into the House of Representatives, has helped him a lot, not to get disconnected from people, who elected him into National Assembly over the years.
The Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP Benue South), also eulogised the virtues of the late monarch in his contribution to the motion.
The Senate, after the debates on the motion, adopted all the prayers sought as resolutions, one of which was to immortalise the late monarch by naming one of the Senate committee rooms after him.
It also held a minute silence in honour of the deceased.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, urged Senator Abdulfatai Buhari to make available copies of “Arrogance of Power”, authored by the deceased to all senators in guiding them aright at all times.
Meanwhile, the Senate, yesterday, resolved to tackle the problem of the growing number of out-of-school children in Nigeria and the menacing vices of the situation in the country.
This was as the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, stressed that out-of-school children were willing tools for terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the society.
Consequently, the apex legislative Assembly mandated its Committees on Education (Basic & Secondary) to engage the Federal Ministry of Education, to pay special attention to the issue of out-of-school children, with the ultimate objective of drastically reducing the number.
The Senate made the resolution, following a motion by Senator Adebule, Idiat Oluranti (APC, Lagos West), titled: “compelling need to tackle the challenge of out of school children in Nigeria.”
