David Williams
The member representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency I in the House of Representatives, Rufus Adeniyi Ojuawo, has pledged to embark on more legislative milestones, constituency projects if he secure the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for his reelection bid come 2027 general election.
Ojuawo, who represents Ikere, Ise/Orun and Ekiti South-West Local Government Areas on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, said his nearly three years in the National Assembly had been defined by impactful motions, people-centred bills and developmental interventions across the constituency.
The retired Air Vice Marshal spoke on Wednesday during an interaction with members of the Ekiti State Correspondents Chapel in Ado-Ekiti, where he presented his legislative scorecards and stewardship report to constituents.
According to him, transparency and regular engagement with the people remained critical to effective representation.
Highlighting his legislative activities, Ojuawo disclosed that one of the earliest motions he sponsored at the House of Representatives sought the introduction of leadership training into Nigeria’s educational curriculum from primary to tertiary levels, stressing that the lack of structured leadership development remained one of the country’s major challenges.
He also listed other motions he had sponsored, including advocacy for a living wage aimed at discouraging the migration of Nigerian youths abroad, proposals to encourage value addition to Nigeria’s raw materials before export and calls for the replacement of static security checkpoints with mobile patrol systems to improve security operations and reduce corruption.
On education and agriculture, the lawmaker said he sponsored a bill seeking the establishment of a College of Agriculture and Forestry Research in the constituency to support local farmers through research and innovation.
Although the bill progressed through legislative stages, he noted that presidential assent was delayed due to the Federal Government’s temporary suspension on the creation of new tertiary institutions.
Ojuawo further disclosed that he initiated another bill seeking federal takeover of the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education Science and Technology to reduce the financial burden on the Ekiti State Government and create opportunities for expansion into medical and allied health programmes.
Speaking on constituency projects, the federal lawmaker said he had facilitated the installation of solar-powered boreholes and streetlights across communities in Ikere, Ise/Orun and Ekiti South-West, while also providing transformers, grading rural roads annually and distributing motorcycles and other empowerment materials to residents.
He added that his agricultural interventions had led to the establishment of community farms in Ogbese and Ikoto, where farmers currently benefit from irrigation systems, solar-powered boreholes and mechanised support for cultivation.
On security, Ojuawo said he had maintained close collaboration with security agencies through joint patrol arrangements, leveraging his background as a retired military officer to support intelligence gathering and community safety efforts within the constituency.
The lawmaker also highlighted his healthcare interventions, revealing that he facilitated the establishment of a 20-bed hospital through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, while also attracting medical equipment valued at over 550,000 US dollars through partnerships with Nigerians in the diaspora.
He added that the facility currently operates on a solar-powered mini-grid system that guarantees uninterrupted electricity supply.
Ojuawo further stated that he had intervened in several security-related matters affecting constituents, including investigations into armed robbery incidents and the killing of a student in Osun State, maintaining that representation should go beyond infrastructure development to protecting the welfare and interests of the people.
Speaking on the forthcoming APC primary election, the lawmaker dismissed claims of political imposition, insisting that only the electorate could determine who emerges as the party’s candidate.
Ojuawo maintained that a second term would place the constituency in a stronger position to attract more federal projects, leadership opportunities within the National Assembly and increased developmental interventions.
His words, “In Ogbese and Ikoto farms alone, we have dozens of farmers benefitting. We have irrigation systems, solar-powered facilities and hectares of watermelon cultivation. The idea is to empower our people economically and encourage them to remain productive.
“Endorsement comes from the people, not from a few individuals. Politics is local and the people are the ones who truly decide. I have gone round the wards and communities and the support has been overwhelming.
“As a first timer, there are limits to what you can achieve because you are still learning the system. But with experience and ranking, you gain more leverage to attract development to your constituency. If given another term, I will be able to do even more for my people”.
