Mustapha and His Constituency Representation Project for Kwara Central

Kwara-Central Senator-elect, Mallam Saliu Mustapha, has set in motion mechanisms geared towards an inclusive constituency representation and his plan to do things differently.

While campaigning his way into the National Assembly, Saliu Mustapha, an Ilorin-born businessman and philanthropist, promised to reposition Kwara state through legislative support for human capital development, infrastructure development, massive empowerment of women and young people to fight multidimensional poverty among other beneficial causes.

But on top of his legislative agenda was the assurance of a representation that is all inclusive and close to the grassroots in the Kwara Central district, which he was seeking to represent.

While touring the nooks and crannies of the district, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate noted that his election would be the end of “Abuja-focused lawmaking”, where the lawmaker is distant from their constituents and only fixated on affairs in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In tandem with his campaign mantra of “doing things differently”, he announced his plan to create an effective feedback channel where people can voice their concerns and ultimately influence decision-making at the top.

This, according to him, is the first step to progress and development for any community.

In the February 25 election, Mustapha defeated his closest rival and former sports minister, Bolaji Abdullahi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to clinch the senatorial seat. He had since been presented his certificate of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Today, Mustapha will be taking the oath of office, an inaugural exercise to usher in all the federal lawmakers in the green and red chambers.

Keeping to his words

Ahead of his swearing-in as Kwara Central Senator, Mustapha has opened constituency offices across the four local government areas that make up the district as a way of making good his promise of inclusion.

These offices had not only been furnished but had been running with enough staff members.

Also, to help mobility and grassroot outreaches, constituency vehicles have also been purchased.

As part of means of timely engagements with the people, the Senator-elect has commenced the appointment of Legislative Assistants across the 52 wards.

These Legislative Assistants will be on ground to collate data and feedback from the people including those who are in remote areas.

Town hall, E-participation

Apart from the legislative assistants, Mallam Mustapha and his team have planned a bi-annual town hall meetings for strategies and feedback.

The meeting will feature public dialogues that will involve the lawmaker and members of his constituency. The venue and the dates for the meetings have not been made public yet.

Also for the first time in the state, a senatorial district will have a digital platform through which the people can contribute to decision making at the top.

According to one of Mustapha’s personal assistants, Alabi Abdulkarim, a website www.kwaracentral.org, has been created for the benefits of the constituents.

“The platform will not only provide an avenue for engagement but also feature other add-on benefits like awareness and learning sections,” he said.

Stakeholders have expressed confidence in Mustapha’s ability to take the office a notch higher than his predecessors have done.

A community leader in Ilorin West, Alhaji Abdusalam Olowo, stated that the outgoing Senator, Yahaya Oloriegbe, tried his best in representing the district.

According to him: “You cannot take away Oloriegbe’s contribution from the 9th Senate. He proposed a lot of reasonable bills. This new man (Mustapha) has hit the ground running in an unprecedented manner. It shows that he really means business.”

Olowo added that carrying his constituents along will make the job easier for the incoming Senator.

“When you carry people along, you cannot go astray. You will push for policies that will favour the masses. Not because of anything but because it shows they are a priority to you.”

Experts, policy shapers applaud moves

Likewise, the early steps by the Senator have been applauded by experts and policy shapers within and outside Kwara state.

Commenting on Mustapha’s approach to legislation, a Lagos-based civic participation advocate, Bashir Adebayo, said the lawmaker-elect is building a template for not just Kwara but Nigeria as a whole.

“We only practice democracy on paper and the electorate have no say beyond voting. Initiatives like these are world-class. These are the things you see in the United States. It makes the constituents feel more empowered,” he said.

He continued; “I believe what Mallam Mustapha is trying to do is the common practice overseas. When there is a bill, the lawmaker goes back to his constituency to get the views of his people. That’s the standard that should be emulated.”

Adebayo expressed optimism that the incoming Senator will stay true to his plans, some of which are still in the works.

The convener of Young Nigerians in Power and IT expert, Alli Macaulay, while lauding the initiative, noted that with the digital inclusion, Mustapha would be able to capture the majority of the younger population.

He said: “The fact that there is a physical and virtual system makes the feedback system flexible for young people. Majority of these people are online. It means they won’t be left of governance. That’s what inclusion is about”.