*Tripartite appraisal of Senator Yakubu Oseni’s infrastructural interventions*
*By Zacchaeus Ozovehe*
It is no doubt that one of the many functions of Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is to ensure a minimum presence of government in their constituencies by having some grass-roots projects captured during the budgeting process. Even though the idea of constituency projects was in response to frequent and rightful demands of constituents for dividends of democracy, Senator Yakubu Oseni was by natural design inclined to meeting the needs of his people at the grassroots before ascension to the coveted seat of Senator representing the good people of Kogi Central Senatorial District.
For close to three years now when he emerged as the representative of his people at the National Assembly, Senator Oseni imbued with pro-masses philosophy has daily occupied himself with legislative activities that could have lasting positive impacts on his people. His strategic infrastructural interventions in Kogi Central which had since etched his name in the minds of the people could be assessed in threefold viz:
*(1) Building of ICT/e-learning centres, skill acquisition centres, 600 capacity JAMB CBT centre, others*
It is an incontrovertible fact that at the heart of the technological advancement of 21st century, the whole world has been reduced to a global village with the help of internet-enabled facilities like the computers. Virtually all human economic, government, commercial, banking, health and even military operations are carried out with the aid of the computers. This reinforced the indispensability of computer knowledge without which one is a castaway in our present fast-paced world of technology. Senator Yakubu Oseni, a thorough-bred, forward thinking and digitally-receptive legislator who by an act of Providence is the Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT/Cyber security, is poised to lift his people from the dungeon of computer or cyber illiteracy. Aside the world class 600 capacity JAMB CBT centre in Agassa, he has built and equipped over 12 ICT/e-learning centres across the five local government areas of his constituency. His special recognition of the importance of small and medium scale business enterprise made him to equally build several vocational and skill acquisition centres where people could learnt the art of soap making, detergent making, fashion designing, carpentry, salon, vulcanising and others. The unrelenting Senator Oseni had repeatedly informed his constituents that with the aforementioned facilities, border or distance become less imperative whenever his constituents want to engage in trade or other commercial activities with people in any part of the globe.
*(2) Building and renovation of blocks of classrooms, supply of writing materials*
Indeed, there is mutual relationship between the physical structures of schools and quality of learning and teaching among teachers and students. Effective learning cannot take place in dilapidated school structures which were hitherto rampant in most schools in Kogi Central. If these schools are truly the citadel where leaders of tomorrow are trained and nurtured, then Senator Yakubu Oseni’s prompt intervention in terms of renovations and outright building of new blocks of classrooms is justified. A renovated and well equipped school will not only boost the morale of teachers, it equally gives parents that sense of confidence and assurance that their children can favourably compete with children from other parts of the world. This has been an integral but sensitive programme of the lawmaker who has gone beyond only renovation to supplying of ceiling fans, teachers and students’ chair, writing materials and others. The educational intervention of Senator Oseni like his many other projects is spatially executed across the five local government areas of his constituency with firm promise that he would not leave any school that need renovation unattended to.
*(3) Provision of over 27 boreholes, road construction and public toilets across Kogi Central*
The topography of Kogi Central is obviously rocky and this partly accounts for perennial shortage of potable water. The Kogi State government has been up and doing in its effort to evolve permanent solution to water problem of the people of Kogi Central. However, this effort has to be complemented pending the actual execution of the reticulation of the available dams. It is on this note that Senator Yakubu Oseni sunk over 27 boreholes across Kogi Central to mitigate the suffering of his people especially during dry season.
Some community roads have equally received the attention of Distinguished Senator Yakubu Oseni. An instance of this is the Upogoro/Agassa road to GDSS, Anyava. While other community roads have been marked for rehabilitation in subsequent years, residents around Upogoro, Agassa and Anyava communities have never relented in their prayers for the lawmaker for what they called timely intervention on their road which has indirectly boosted economic activities of the area.
In addition, his love for healthy and clean environment made him prioritised building of public toilets in some selected areas. The lawmaker had always argued that since health is wealth, then adequate attention and enlightenment have to be in place for proper disposal of human waste. With clean environment, many ailments with attendant cost would have been avoided.
It is indeed a new dawn for the people Kogi Central as Senator Yakubu Oseni unveils more of his impactful projects in years to come.