Bamidele X-rays Senate’s Search for an Efficient Governance System

Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele recently reported back to his constituents in Ekiti Central during which he x-rays diverse legislative initiatives the upper chamber had initiated in the last 22 months to guarantee the sustainability of the country’s democratic institutions; deepen the stability of her domestic economy and create an efficient and responsive governance system. Gbenga Sodeinde reports.

From Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji to the state Deputy Governor, Chief Christianah Afuye; Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye and Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe (Aladesanmi III), eminent sons and daughters of the state converged in a large number on the Pavilion, Ado-Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti recently. 

The rationale for their convergence was not merely for another carnival. Rather, the gathering was designed for Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele to render accounts of stewardship first as the representative of Ekiti Central in the Senate and also as the leader of the business in the country’s foremost democratic institution, which, according to analysts, had come under public scrutiny since the birth of the 10th National Assembly. 

It was indeed a moment of history that brought together political actors, traditional rulers and socio-cultural leaders across five local government areas that constituted the senatorial district and beyond. It was also a moment for the constituents to reassess the choice they had made during the 2023 poll.

It was lastly a moment for Bamidele to give back to his teeming constituents he was elected to represent at the nation’s foremost parliamentary institution.

Before the gathering that comprised constituents from five local government areas in Ekiti Central, Bamidele first acknowledged the multiplicity of socio-economic and political issues that confronted the federation at the birth of the 10th National Assembly. He listed the issues to include escalating food prices, security challenges, extreme poverty cases, acute infrastructure deficit and instability in the foreign exchange market, among others

Bamidele, thus, commended the constituents and indeed Nigerians for their display of resilience and support for President Bola Tinubu and leadership of the National Assembly during the challenging times.

He pointed out the resolve of the presidency and parliament to work together to duly address all challenges impeding the country’s collective prosperity. 

Each of these challenges, the Senate Leader argued, complicated the task of delivering critical services to the people. Undaunted by these challenges, Bamidele equally pointed out diverse creatively designed initiatives, which, he observed, the parliament had adopted to address the crises that confronted the country as soon as it came on stream on June 13, 2023.

The initiatives, according to him, arose from bills, motions and petitions that either originated from the executive arm or members of the upper chamber.

Specifically, Bamidele explained the speed at which the parliament worked to ensure decisive responses to all the requests of strategic national interests from the presidency. The momentum was evident in the prompt consideration of money bills, appointment confirmations and other interventions aimed at reinforcing the country’s social cohesion; ensuring economic stability and creating an environment that would incentivise strategic investors.

Although he acknowledged the multiplicity of legislative initiatives that the parliament had promoted in the last 22 months, Bamidele mentioned vital ones that impinged directly on nearly all households across the federation. He, however, observed that Nigerians rarely made reference “to such legislatures despite far-reaching positive outcomes they portend for all households.”

He first highlighted the repealing and re-enactment of the 2024 National Social Investment Programme Agency (Establishment) Act. Unlike its repealed version, the Act was amended to support vulnerable citizens facing scathing economic conditions heralded by the removal of fuel and forex subsidies.” He further explained the intent of the Act, which according to him, was designed to establish “an effective and accountable structure for service delivery and ensure adequate coordination among relevant agencies of government.”

He, thus, observed that the Act “has now guaranteed the sustainability of diverse national social investment programmes as a viable tool for poverty alleviation in Nigeria. We have provided necessary legislative frameworks and strengthened public institutions with capacities to deepen social equity and promote economic growth through other legislative initiatives.”

The Senate Leader equally explained the significance of the 2024 Investments and Securities (Repeal and Re-enactment) Act. For him, the new regime was a major milestone in the country’s capital market reform. Now that the Act has been re-enacted, Bamidele argued, it will strengthen regulatory frameworks for all forms of  investment; enhance the competitiveness of the country’s securities market and regulate digital currencies, fintech companies and other modern financial practices.

Bamidele cited the implementation of the Students Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act 2024. Historic and transformative, Bamidele reeled out verifiable data, which delineated how the new legislation opened limitless access to tertiary education across the federation. As of 4th April 2025, according to Bamidele, the student loan dashboard revealed that 543,768 students had indicated in the scheme while 470,829 applied for the loans.

Since the scheme came on stream, the Senate Leader revealed that the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) had disbursed ₦49.33 billion based on the information retrieved from the student loan dashboard. Of this figure, according to him, ₦29.86 billion was disbursed to settle tuitions nationwide while upkeep disbursements gulped ₦19.47 billion as of 4th April 2025. He thus challenged his constituents to take advantage of the vast opportunities that the scheme offered the youths whose parents could not afford to take up their tuition and upkeep.    

Likewise, Bamidele explained the imperative of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (Amendment) Act, 2023, which KPMG International observed, would protect children rights; enhance data security; ensure the rights of data subjects and forestall personal data breaches. In essence, according to him, the Act was intended to promote accountability and transparency within the digital media space on one hand and enhance the country’s economic, educational and digital regulatory frameworks on the other hand. 

Among others, he cited the development of diverse legislative frameworks, which according to him, the parliament had designed to stabilise the country’s fiscal and monetary spaces; prioritise the stability of internal security; address consumer price inflation and create more functional governance structures. He explained that the parliament had leveraged the power of  strategic collaboration among the arms of government to decisively respond to the governance issues. 

Beyond what he had leveraged his good office to accomplish as the leader of business in the Senate, Bamidele explained the new scheme he initiated to support his constituents under the Renewed Hope Mega Empowerment Programme. In 2023, he revealed, the scheme benefitted no fewer than 4,000 constituents. In 2024, he put the number of constituents that benefited from the scheme at 5,000 across the senatorial district.

Under the 2024 scheme alone, Bamidele further revealed that no fewer than 1,900 people received a grant of ₦100,000 each to boost their businesses;  536 sewing machines distributed to newly certified seamstresses; 303 chest freezers to market women; 146 bags of  organic liquid fertilizers, 57 corn seeders and 10 engine tractors for farmers.

Coupled with a newly reconstructed Oja Oba Market in Aramoko Ekiti that comprises 100 shops, the Senate Leader doled out 40,000 notebooks, 10,000 mathematical sets, 10,000 school bags, 10,000 calculator sets to students in public schools within the senatorial district. Among others, 180 motorcycles were distributed to farmers for the purpose of easy access to their farm settlements, 165 tricycles for short township travel and 20 mini buses for intra-city transport services.

With this account, Oyebanji recalled the request of President Tinubu to the government and people of Ekiti State before the 2023 presidential election. When he visited the state, Oyebanji narrated how President Tinubu requested that the state should allow Senator Bamidele to serve at the federal level, citing his commitment to public causes and patriotic services at the 9th National Assembly.

Just two years into the administration, Oyebanji noted that Ekiti State, not just Ekiti Central, “has significantly benefited from the resolve of the state to release Senator Bamidele to the president to enable him serve at the federal level. The outcome of that decision is what the people of the state are currently benefiting today evident in the massive programmes and projects that Senator Bamidele has facilitated to the state.”

The governor commended the Senate Leader for the approach he adopted “to select beneficiaries of the 2024 Renewed Hope Mega Empowerment Programme, which accommodates all interests across all local government areas in the district.”

He also appreciated his commitment “to delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of the state on behalf of President Tinubu.

“We can now see the benefits and dividends. We can now see the rationale behind the request of the president then.”