Sir: Legislative advocacy is about making your voice heard and taking action that involves acting on behalf of yourself or others. It can involve working personally with legislative personnel about a particular issue.
According to Wikipedia, “Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to influence public policy, laws and budgets by using facts, their relationships, the media, and messaging to educate government officials and the public.”
A passionate representative will always prioritise the interest of his constituents by pandering to their yearnings through many interventionists advocacy or legislative safety net so as to ease their burden and make life desirable. In the time past, a host of representatives have done this with the promulgation of laws and stentorious agitation for succour and inclusivity for all and sundry. This in particular is what an all-encompassing representation means. The real definition of the latter is what Honorable Muktar Tolani Shagaya, member, House of Representatives, representing llorin West/Asa Federal Constituency stands for. As a true and compassionate representative, he has umpteenth times demonstrated capacity through many of his advocacies and interventionist programmes that have in no unquantifiable terms brought relief to those living in squalor and despondency.
As a sign of a true representative, Shagaya has been pragmatic in legislative representation with the sponsorship of many bills and motions that if they all scaled through, it means life in abundance for his constituents and the Nigerian masses. Known for his vociferous voice for all that will bring about a dignifying life for the talakawas, Shagaya has sponsored the bills for the establishment of Federal Medical Centres, health education practitioner board; a bill to amend the 1999 constitution of Nigeria to confer jurisdiction on the Federal High Court handle and prosecute electoral offenders, among many others.
Shagaya with his undying spirit has sagaciously moved the motion on the urgent need to tackle the emerging outbreak of diphtheria in Nigeria; motion on the need to rehabilitate the llorin-Offa-Osogbo-Ibadan-Abeokuta-Lagos railway line; motion against styrofoam and single-use plastics. Not only busy promulgating laws, Shagaya has in innumerable measures ensured many constituency outreach like the distribution of over 1000 units of food items to the victims of flood in llorin West/Asa Federal constituency – social relief package, nutritional packs, livelihood items, and building materials; cash relief empowerment given to over 700 constituents during the holy month of Ramadan, ranging from N50, 000-N100,000; distribution of essential food palliatives to 2000 constituents; empowerment of 800 constituents with N16 million – N20, 000 each to boost Small and Medium Scale Enterprise; over 50 motorised boreholes were facilitated across 29 wards in the constituency; 350 JAMB forms were given to students across the constituency in the just concluded 2024 JAMB exercise; Keke Irorun (tricycles) were subsidised and given to the interested constituents.
For clarity of purpose, Shagaya was not a political jobber before his election into the National Assembly. He was an entrepreneur, renewable energy specialist, international development worker and philanthropist.
Dapo Ipoola, a public affairs analyst, wrote in from Lagos.
