A Cerebral Lawmaker, Babajimi Benson Clocks 50

Udora Orizu chronicles the noteworthy political and leadership journey of the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson as he rings in the golden jubilee year

March 30, 2022, is the 50th birthday of a cerebral leader, legal practitioner, administrator, politician, management expert and advocate for women inclusion in leadership, Honourable Babajimi Adegoke Benson. The story of Hon. Benson’s sojourn on earth is one of the abundance of the Grace of God, whose unfailing love has been sufficient in his life.
Benson, born in 1972 in Ikorodu, Lagos State, is a man of many parts. JB, as he is popularly called is not just an exceptional politician, lawyer, but also an astute administrator whose career progression has taken him through both the private and public sectors. 
Benson is intelligent, meticulous, with a rare passion for public service, humanity and philanthropy. He has dedicated his life to strengthening the people politically, financially, economically and socially. Despite his great achievements, you will find him as humble as they come.
He had his early education in Ikorodu before proceeding to Lagos State University to study law, graduating in 1994 with an LLB. Thereafter, he attended the Nigerian Law School in 1995 and bagged a Bachelor of Law (Honours). He then proceeded to obtaining an LLM in Comparative International Business Law at the London Guildhall University graduating with a Merit in 1999.
 His massive thirst for intellectual advancement and need to diversify and reinforce his educational qualifications led him to Warwick Business School (UK) where he bagged a Master of Business Administration (MBA). 
He is a member of Nigerian Bar Association as well as the International Bar Association. After successfully completing his NYSC programme in 1989, he was appointed a Legal Officer in the General Counsel Division at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. From 2001-2003, he was an in-house Legal Counsel at Ecobank Plc after which he moved to Lead Bank PLC as Deputy Manager (Legal) between 2003-2004.
 His impressive career progression saw him being appointed as a Non-Executive Director at the Lekki Freetrade Zone in 2007, a position he held till 2004 when he was appointed the Company Secretary (Strategy, Legal & Corporate Governance) of Lagos State Development & Property Corporation (LSDPC).

Journey as a Legislator
As he rings in the golden jubilee year, Benson have spent almost seven years as a member of the National Assembly, representing Ikorodu federal constituency at the House of Representatives. His strong desire to serve his people had him venturing into full-time politics, and in 2015 he was elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) to represent his constituency at the green chamber.
Currently, serving his second tenure, Honourable Benson is one of the very few lawmakers that have demonstrated laudable leadership and political responsibility in the discharge of his legislative duties. He served in several key committees of the House in the 8th and 9th Assembly. These include Chairman, House Committee on Banking and Finance, Chairman, Sub-Committee on Habitat, Deputy Chairman, Committee on Delegated Legislation and member of Committees on Works, Justice, Housing, Environment, Treaties and Protocol.
 He currently chairs the House Committee on Defence, and have through bills and motions canvassed ways to aid the security agents in carrying out their duties more efficiently and effectively in the fight against insecurity. One of such efforts towards enhancing defence capabilities, led him to sponsoring a Bill seeking to establish the Nigerian Armed Forces Support Fund.
As an advocate of women inclusion in political and other leadership positions, Benson who has been a member of the House of Representatives Constitutional Review Committee since the 8th Assembly, was among the lawmakers who voted in favour and as well appealed to his colleagues to vote in favour of gender bills during the recent voting on the constitution amendments.
Some Bills sponsored by him include: “the Good Samaritan Bill seeking to provide legal protection for First responders who render help to victims of accidents or in emergency situations, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2020, which seeks to address the need for defined periodic population census in Nigeria, A bill seeking to amend the Electric Power Sector Reform Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, to authorize host communities where electricity is generated to be entitled to a percentage of profits from Generating companies. Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2020 which seeks to alter the minimum educational qualification for aspirants into political office and National Icons, Symbols Legacy Agency Bill, 2020, to allow for more coordinated and robust management of our national symbols, A Bill for an Act to Amend the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Foster Collaboration Between the Armed Forces and Other Security Agencies in the Provision of National Security and Establish the Armed Forces Human Rights Unit to Provide a Reporting Channel for Civilians Whose Human Rights are Violated by Members of Armed Forces; Bill to Reserve five per cent of GENCOs Revenues for Host Communities, Bill to Specify Time Frame for Conduct of Census.”
Benson sponsored the motion to commemorate the World Teachers Day and celebration of Nigerian Teachers, where the Best Teacher in Nigeria 2019, Mrs. Agnes Elusakin of Oriwu College, Ikorodu was honoured by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and members of the House. He also laid a petition before the House against the Accountant General of the Federation for his refusal to pay salaries and pension arrears of officers, who retired from the Federal Civil Service between 2012 and 2020.

Constituency DevelopmentOn constituency development, Benson who endeared himself to his constituents as the ‘People’s Representative’ with his grassroots drive, has attracted several projects to them. He launched the iCare Foundation project on October 16, 2016. 
The Food Bank idea was conceptualised to cater for the aged, widows, needy and vulnerable as a means to cushion the effect of economic recession on the people. He also set up a community radio in his Ikorodu constituency, the radio, IKD 106.1FM officially commenced transmission. 
One of his recent constituency projects is the donation of an 80-bed Mother and Child Hospital to Imota. He has also used his position at several stages of his career to secure employment for a large number of his constituents both directly and via recommendations. 
Aside his numerous accomplishments, Hon. Benson is happily married with children. It will be hard to capture all his achievements in this piece, but the above attributes aptly define Hon. Benson’s journey into the Nigerian political domain. 
Happy Birthday to a natural-born leader and one of the most innovative person in politics today! You are always striving to make things better with new approaches and such unfaltering determination. Your headstrong approach and passion to achieve what you set out to do is so remarkable and truly inspirational. May the next 50 be even better than the first!