House Of Reps Press Corps Honours Wale Raji With Excellence Award

For the lawmaker, this recognition is merely an apposite catalyst that will continue to inspire his drive to work more arduously towards the aggrandisement of his constituents.

The Press Corps of the House of Representatives has honoured Hon Wale Raji, Member Representing Epe Federal Constituency at the Green Chamber of Nigeria’s parliament for his unyielding efforts towards the development of his constituency.

The event took place on Monday, July 12, 2021, at the International Conference Centre Abuja.

The award, which was presented by the House Majority Leader, Rt Hon AlHassan Ado Doguwa, was with particular reference to the Lawmaker’s strides in his Constituency’s development as well as his media-friendly disposition, all qualities of a politician with an unbending drive towards promoting the ideals of democracy in the country.

This award adds yet another feather to Hon Raji’s cap, having garnered unremitting encomiums and adulations from his constituents and political observers for an unbroken chain of quality representation via people-oriented projects and sponsored bills during his eventful spell at Nigeria’s Green Chamber.

In the area of education, the quintessential lawmaker has been instrumental in the reconstruction of hostel blocks that was gutted by a fire outbreak at Epe Grammar school. Wale Raji has also personally undertaken several other education intervention projects across his constituency.

On electricity, Wale Raji, in his unerring determination to positively touch the lives of his constituents, donated electric poles to bolster the supply of electricity to residents of Babatunde Ojikutu, Orilowo Oladapo and Jagun Oba Ilesanmi Streets in an area popularly known as Igbodile.

Also noteworthy are the several empowerment schemes and cash grants to his constituents, particularly during the economic crunch occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic. Amongst several other intervention schemes, the lawmaker, in November 2020 unveiled two projects namely- the Grassroot Traders Support initiative and Elders Welfare Scheme at a ceremony on 28th November 2020.

The projects were specifically tailored towards rendering financial and material aid to the aged as well as businessmen and women whose businesses had suffered a downward spiral as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hon Wale Raji also played a crucial role in facilitating the reconstruction of the Epe-Itoikin road, a project which was chaperoned by Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.

The Epe-Itoikin road, despite its strategic relevance on economic and structural levels, for yonks, had been left in ruins. Consequently, the pitiable condition of the roads had come with a steep and profound negative impact on the economic, commercial, and social activities in the division.

Hence, the reconstruction of the road to resuscitate its economic and strategic relevance, with the Lawmaker’s signature on the project once again underscores his nudge towards changing the narrative and ensuring quality representation for his constituents.

Hon Wale Raji’s giant strides has not, however, ended with the flurry of intervention projects for his constituents. The Lawmaker has also been influential in the lawmaking aspect of his mandate by sponsoring a number of crucial bills that have touched many lives positively.

In a swift move targeted towards addressing the bottleneck which has constituted a cog in the wheel of efficient healthcare delivery – lack of legislation that allows private and public health facilities to answer swiftly to emergency situations involving gunshot wounds and other related accidents, Hon Wale moved to sponsor a bill to expand the scope of the compulsory treatment for victims of gunshot injuries Act, 2017 thereby allowing hospitals, (both public and private) to attend to victims of other armed attacks other than gunshot injuries without a police report and ultimately bring the law in conformity with the actual intendment of the Act.

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Prior to this time, the available legislation, ‘The compulsory treatment and care for victims of gunshots Act, 2017’ had been narrowly cast to only cater for the emergency needs of gunshot victims, leaving the victims of other related attacks like stab injuries to the mercy of medical practitioners who have shown demonstrated proclivity towards taking undue advantage of the shallow nature of this legislation.

Indeed, parsing through Hon Raji’s laudable legislative artistry is an exercise that would undoubtedly echo as painstaking and onerous, given his numerous exploits at Nigeria’s hallowed green chamber. For the lawmaker, this recognition is merely an apposite catalyst that will continue to inspire his drive to work more arduously towards the aggrandisement of his constituents.

Ronny Ikpoto

Edidiong-Ronny Ikpoto holds a First Class degree in Media Studies. He shares a healthy enthusiasm for journalism, social & literary criticism, and creative writing.