Records on Private Member Bills sponsorship among serving senators in the 10th National Assembly, obtained from the Rules and Business office, indicate that the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, tops the list with 21 bills in the last 18 months.
One of the 21 private member bills sponsored by Senator Barau was the North West Development Commission Bill, now an Act of Parliament legalizing the creation of the North West Development Commission (NWDC), after being assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Amazed by Senator Barau’s achievement in sponsoring private member bills despite being a presiding officer, journalists covering the Senate honored him with an award for the highest number of private member bills sponsorship.
The Chairman of the Senate Press Corps, Mr. James Itodo, stated that the Deputy President of the Senate was honored based on his performance, as reflected in the records, and not for any other reason.
“The Deputy President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Barau I. Jibrin, CFR, topped the Private Member Bills Sponsorship Chart of the 10th Senate from June 13, 2023, to date.
“It is against this background that members of the Senate Press Corps, comprising representatives from media outlets in Nigeria and beyond, deemed it fit to bestow the Highest Development-Driven Bills Sponsorship Award on him,” he said while presenting the award to Senator Barau.
In response to the honor, Barau said it would motivate him to do more.
“Your recognition of my legislative contributions in the Senate over the last 18 months, particularly on a series of development-driven bills sponsored so far, will energize and propel me further to do more.
“Once you are given an award, it encourages you to do more. To whom much is given, much is expected. This, to me, is also considered your contribution to ensuring the legislature remains vibrant.
“Once you identify those who are doing well and honor them through awards of this nature, it creates a sense of competition and motivates others to do more so that they can be recognized at some point in the future,” he said.
