I am compelled to respond to a report in your news paper; Daily Trust of 31th of July 2013 in which Senator Babafemi Ojudu was erroneously linked to some other Senators who you reported does not have a single bill to their names. In the case of Senator Babafemi Ojudu, that is not factual.
As at today, Senator Ojudu has listed two bills.
I am compelled to respond to a report in your news paper; Daily Trust of 31th of July 2013 in which Senator Babafemi Ojudu was erroneously linked to some other Senators who you reported does not have a single bill to their names. In the case of Senator Babafemi Ojudu, that is not factual.
As at today, Senator Ojudu has listed two bills.
The first is A Bill for an Act to make provisions for Mandatory Compliance with and Implementation of all Legislative Resolutions and for Other Matters Connected Therewith, 2012 (SB.199) which has been read for the first time and listed for second reading. The second is A Bill for an Act to Establish the Nigerian Political Debate Commission with responsibility for the Conduct and organization of Public debate for Candidates of Political Parties in Nigeria which is pending with the Rules and Business Committee of the Senate under the Chairmanship of Senator Ita Enang.
Besides these two bills, the whole of Nigeria stood in applause when Senator Babafemi Ojudu uncovered the bribe-for-job scam being perpetrated by some elements in the Federal Civil Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and also fought gallantly on the floor of the Senate for seventeen (17) young Nigerians from whom N250,000 each was collected for employment into NSCDC, only to be later sacked. This singular and commendable effort by Senator Ojudu led to a Senate investigation into these shady deals.
Senator Ojudu, it was, who also punctured the fraudulent gaping holes in the budget of the Federal Ministry of Works, exposing in the process how roads for Ekiti are annually listed under other states of the federation. All these are besides his noticeable efforts on various adhoc committees of the Senate such as the adhoc committee on the probe of sale of public properties by the BPE, amongst others. In all the five Committees he is serving, he has been very productive and meticulous as could be attested to by anybody who has had anything to do with those Committees
I also want you to note that the job of a senator is not restricted to sponsoring bills. Besides this, there are oversight functions, committee work, constituency responsibilities, among many and in all of these, Senator Ojudu has performed creditably well as attested to by commendations from well-meaning Nigerians and his constituents.
Only yesterday, Senator Ojudu and other members of the Senate Committee on Defence and Army just returned from a three-day tour of several dangerous spots in Borno and Yobe States in the quest to find a lasting solution to the Boko Haram onslaught in these areas. It took great courage and patriotism for him and his colleagues to visit these areas which many public officers in the country consider a no-go area.
These facts are verifiable and as such I will like to call your attention and that of your Editor to these facts. I will equally want you to cross-check and report your findings, giving it equal reportage.
I request these given the embarrassment and grave concerns which many of his constituents and friends have expressed concerning the said report. It is my fervent hope that as a leading newspaper devoted to the essential principles of reporting the truth and only the truth, you will consider these facts provided as we are not opposed to investigating our claims. We await you to correct the notion that Senator Babafemi Ojudu has been idling away in Abuja these past two years…it is not true and can’t be.
I thank you in advance for your response.
Rotimi Opeyeoluwa
Legislative Aide to Senator Babafemi Ojudu
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