Osun East In Focus: What Exactly Is Senator Omoworare Doing?

One of the hotbed of politics In Osun state is Osun east senatorial district. The reason among other factors is that Osun east hosts two major historic towns in the state, Ile-Ife and Ilesha. Ile-ife is seen as home to Yoruba Race while Ilesha is the acclaimed headquarters of Ijeshaland.

One thing that the above translates to is the fact that people from that axis got exposed earlier to education, business and by extension politics, and for that alone, those whom are chosen to represent them most times have to be active enough to contend with the yearnings of their constituents.

Babajide Omoworare is the senator representing Osun east senatorial district in the senate. Emanating from a family with a deep history of nationalism, politics and public service, (his Paternal Great grandfather) Pa Daniel Omoworare was a founding member of Egbe Agba Afenifere, Ooni Adesoji Tadenikawo Aderemi (his Maternal Grandfather) was the first black African Governor and his sister, Hon. Olanike Omoworare was the first female Deputy Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly and indeed Nigeria. Senator Babajide Omoworare joined the Alliance for Democracy (AD), contested and won election as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) representing Ifako-Ijaiye State Constituency 1 between 1999 and 2007.

With this background and coming to contest for that senatorial seat in 2007, only to win in 2011 and returned in 2015, it is expedient on his constituents to ask that what Omoworare has been doing.

In his effort to reach out to his Constituents, Omoworare holds monthly constituency meetings from one Local Government to another within the Senatorial District. From time to time, he also issues AFARA, a Constituency Bulletin.

He founded Afara, the Bridge for Community Development (ABCD) to engage his association with foreign development agencies for a direct benefit for the State of Osun. He has sponsored twenty-four youths from the State on leadership and exchange programme to Detroit, Michigan, USA, sponsored ten youths to Atlanta, Georgia, USA on an exchange visit facilitated by A. D. King Foundation, sponsored a total of fifteen entrepreneurs on two different United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) programs to Sheffield, UK and facilitated relationships between UKTI and Osun State based businessmen and policy makers. Recently, he midwifed discussions between UKTI and State of Osun government on modalities of off-taking Osun farm produce.

Senator Omoworare mandated ABCD to execute his Bond of HOPE (Health Care Development, Organized Youth Development, and Poverty Alleviation & Education Development). Five thousand, eight hundred and forty four people (2,950 in July/December 2012 and 2,894 between February and June 2017) are beneficiaries of his Free Family Health Fair Ilera L’oro. Ilera L’oro consist of registration, checking of Vital Signs, Urinalysis to unearth kidney or liver infections, Glucose Blood Sugar test and Malaria Parasite test. It also includes check up by Medical Doctors, Medical Counseling, treatments and free medications. While Insecticide Treated Nets are given to children and pregnant women, Immunizations and Deworming are also carried out. The scheme has also picked several bills of individuals running to millions of Naira.

Investments are similarly made into human capital development to ensure our young people are employed, employable or self-employed. By the grace of God, between year 2011 and 2014, the employment of Seventy eight young graduate indigenes of State of Osun into various Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were documented as directly influenced by Senator Omoworare. One hundred and sixteen young people had gone through the four Job Clinics; eighty-four young people from Ilesa and Ile-Ife enjoyed Computer Appreciation Training in 2013/2014. In 2016, fifty youths took part in a Youth Agricultural Training program organized with SMEDAN and PRODA was involved in Computer Proficiency Training for thirty selected teachers across the Senatorial District. Most importantly Senator Omoworare prompted and co-sponsored the organisation of the First ‘IfePrenuership’ training with the Bank of Industry and Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

Likewise, ABCD is coordinating the 2011 initiative of Senator Omoworare to register about one hundred trade associations as cooperative societies. Some of these societies have been supported to benefit from the Micro Credit Loan Scheme of the State of Osun. The core of his Poverty Alleviation program has been through the incessant provision of working capital, work tools and machinery to women and young ones. This is in addition to the year 2013 and 2017 organised Empowerment program where a total of 325 Motor Cycles, 416 Grinding Machines, 206 Electric generators, 60 Sewing Machines and other products were given out through the Party.

Senator Omoworare had given Educational support funding or school fee augmentation to over 200 students or parents. His quest for educational development include the inspiration and sponsorship given to National Ife Descendant Students Association (NIDSA) Federated Union of Modakeke Students (FUMS) and Federation of  Ijesa Students Union (FISU) in the organisation of Summer Schools for Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in the respective communities. He sponsored two separate JAMB Clinics in Ilesa and Ile-Ife at the onset of the JAMB ICT/Computer Based Test with over three thousand students in attendance. The yearly distribution of free UTME, WAEC and NECO forms by Babajide Omoworare is unremitting.

On the debating floor of the senate, Omoworare was not found wanting. True to his legislative focus and determination to contribute qualitatively to Constitutional, Judiciary (including Prisons), Police, Health, and Education sector reforms and the legislative and budgeting process in Nigeria, the Senator with about twenty bills and several other motions to his credit in the last six years leads the list of active and productive lawmakers in the National Assembly. He will be remembered in the 7th Senate of the Federal

Republic of Nigeria for his historic call for Division of the Senate of the Rivers State Crisis; his Call for Probe of the Kerosene Subsidy; contribution on what the real role of Legislature is on budgeting; opposition to the fraudulent African First Ladies Peace Mission house and others in the FCT budget.

Among other capacity development trainings, Omoworare an alumnus of the USA’s States Department

International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), was trained in diverse areas of Democracy, Governance and Policy Development by reputable organisations like Department for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), British Council and Westminster Foundation for Democracy, USA National Centre for State Courts, United States National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Law Institute and Campaigns and Elections. He was a Delegate of the Mississippi Consortium for International Development, observed the USA 2004 Presidential Elections as well as the UK 2006 and 2010 Local Government Elections. He is a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Global Fund against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Parliamentary Forum.

Since year 2003 he has been a specialist trainer in Parliamentary Procedure & Law Making, Ethics & Privileges and Budget and Budgeting Process to several State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria. He consulted for Justice Research Institute and Coalition for Change (DFID) on an Anti-Corruption Issue Based Project (IBP), which entailed drafting Anti-Corruption Clauses and Code of Ethics intended for specific Ministries of Federal Government of Nigeria. He is certified by the World Bank Institute as proficient in budgeting and appropriation issues as well as proficiency in utilizing Parliamentary tools to tackle corruption and his services has been employed by the World Bank as a trainer/facilitator in legislating against corruption. He is also an auxiliary consultant to the Nigerian Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS).