IT gives me great pleasure and I am indeed very delighted to address you today on the occasion of our second empowerment programme. All praise and adoration to Almighty Allah for keeping and taking us this far.
I want to thank the Leader of our great party (My Boss), His Excellency Senator lsiag Abiola Ajimobi, the executive governor of Oyo State; his Deputy, Chief Adeyemo Moses Alake; the party chairman, Chief Akin Oke; Pa Goke Oyetunji our senatorial chairman and other leaders of our great party, All Progressives Congress of Nigeria (APC) for the support, confidence and words of encouragement at all times.
Also, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman of the 8th Assembly and President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, and my Distinguished colleagues for their support. I could not have asked for a better working relationship, understanding and support. My profound appreciations go also to members of my family, friends, team and inner caucus. You guys have been extra ordinarily wonderfuland supportive.
I will like to reiterate my unquantifiable love for this senatorial district and to say with zero equivocation that I am always and super proud of the uniqueness of this senatorial district and the great people I represent which spreads across thirteen (13) Local Government areas in Oke Ogun and Ogbomoso zones of our darling state. Without any doubt, Oyo North Senatorial District is one of the biggest senatorial district in the country and it is even bigger than states like Bayelsa, Akwa ibom and Yobe.
This journey started some 30 months ago, exactly June 9th 2015, when l was sworn in as a distinguished senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Oyo North Senatorial District at the red chamber. We had a very rough start as you all know because of obvious reasons. However, this has not in any way disturb our resilience to make meaningful laws that will impact positively on the lives of our constituents and move the country forward.
By the end of 2017, the 8th senate had successfully passed one hundred and forty (140) important bills over the period of 30 months, this is no doubt historic, some of the economic bills passed stabilized the economy, moved the country out of recession and powered the country upward in Ease of Doing Business. More so, between this period the senate cleared 82 petitions which is more than the total petitions cleared by 5th, 6th and 7th senates put together.
We are not unmindful of the myriad of challenges facing the country at this moment, I want to implore you all to keep faith with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and our great party All Progressives Congress (APC). We will not let you down, all our campaign promises will be met and we shall move the country to a greater height. We sincerely acknowledge and appreciate your patience, steadfastness, understanding and support. I want to repeat: this government is determined and working assiduously to rebuild every sector of the country and make life meaningful for the citizenry. The situation we met on ground was worse than what we expected.
It will be recalled that during the maiden edition of Senator Buhari Abdulfatai Empowerment Programme on 2nd June, 2016 at OYSADEP playing ground, Saki, I pledged to our party members and followers that didn’t get anything that this empowerment exercise will be a continuous one throughout the life span of this mandate. I want to boldly tell you that 1500 people got different items in 2016 and.similar number will be empowered today again.
During the first empowerment programme 17 party leaders got different cars, 12 people got keke Napep, 220 people got motorcycles, 497 people were given milling machines, 220 constituents got sewing machines, 79 (3.7KVA) generators were distributed, 25 deep freezer were given out, 55 farmers got 20 litres spraying machines and 50 widows were given N25,000 cash as small business startup.
Our commitment to qualitative representation and empowering good people of Oyo North Senatorial District is the trust of the mandate you gave me in 2015 National Assembly election and I want to reiterate our resolve to always strive to represent you like never before and put smile on the faced of the people of Oyo North Senatorial District.
You will all agree with me that the task of representing you has not.been an easy one but your prayers, support and words of encouragement have kept us moving and motivating us to do more. We shall never rest on our oars.
Today is indeed historic in Oyo North Senatorial District because hundreds of constitue will be given different items/tools for sustenance in continuation of what we started in 2016. Like I said during the maiden edition of this empowerment programme, the lucky beneficiaries were selected through a rigorous mechanism of our great party. We didn’t interfere in the selection process.
My candid advice to the lucky beneficiaries is to make judicious use of the whatever item given here today. By making judicious use of the item is what will make us to be very proud of you all and it will surely motivate us to do more.
Permit me to share a story here with you today. When I was in House of Representatives (2003-2007), I
distributed 47 cars to party members and followers across Ogbomoso North, Ogbomoso South and Orire Federal Constituency and I am very proud today to tell you that a man that was given a car, Pa Suleiman Yussuf, he uses the car for transport business and to my surprise the man still uses the car up till today, meaning the only surviving car. This man is very loyal, consistent and contented. By the grace of Almighty Allah, we shall give the man another car today because we are very happy with him and how he maintained the car for 11 years.
The short story is a form of advice to you all here today to make good use of whatever item/tool you get and be contented with it. I cannot make you a rich man or woman, I can only try and put smile on your faces and bring federal presence to our senatorial district. It is the Almighty God that gives wealth.
To our party members and followers that are yet to benefit from our series of empowerment programme, please don’t be offended and never lose hope. It is turn by turn and I am very optimistic
your turn will surely come
This 2018 empowerment programme is another promise kept. Congratulations to all the lucky beneficiaries. I want to promise you all that I will continue to do my very best in representing you qualitatively at the upper chamber, protect the interest of my constituency, facilitate federal presence and to always give dividends of democracy back to my constituency.
Thank you all for honoring our invitation. It is my pledge to continue to represent and serve you.
God bless Oyo North Senatorial District
God bless Oyo State
God bless Nigeria.
