The Oyo South Senatorial candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Hon. Stanley Odidiomo, has said legislative duty is serious business that requires process, lobbying and competence, urging students to be mindful of who they vote for ahead of the general elections.
Odidiomo stated this on Tuesday at the Odidiomo Students’ Legislative Summit organised by the Students’ Representative Council of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union (UISU-SRC), held at the University of Ibadan International Conference Centre.
The summit was themed “The Service Paradigm: Transforming Mindsets for Service-Driven Leadership in Nigeria.”
He said lawmaking in the Senate and House of Representatives is governed by rules and procedures, noting that points of order are used to oppose or kill bills, while sponsors must lobby colleagues to get bills to pass.
“Narrating how Hon. Adepoju got his bill through after lobbying members, you must learn how business is done,” he said, questioning how some lawmakers go to the chambers only to sleep without moving motions, sponsoring bills, or contributing to debates.
He explained that there are also Executive Bills from the President, adding that people elected to represent must be articulate and capable of speaking for their constituents, not those who go there to sleep.
Odidiomo however commended the students for their performance in the mock legislative proceeding, noting that the duties of a legislator include lawmaking and oversight.
He noted that every bill must contain prayers, adding that he oversees four agencies including NIGCOMSAT, Galaxy Backbone and the Nigeria Data Protection Agency, stressing that competence matters when chairing committees.
He said: “Every agency of government has a committee that oversees it and every budget must be passed through legislative process into the Appropriation Act.”
Speaking on the summit theme, the lawmaker said every generation is entrusted with a country it did not create and a future it will not own forever, noting that the true measure of leadership is not what is inherited but what is improved and handed over.
His words: “Leadership is a public trust. Public office is not a reward for personal ambition. It is an opportunity to solve public problems.
“A legislative mandate is not simply the authority to speak. It is the responsibility to listen, legislate, provide oversight and contribute to policies that improve people’s lives.”
Odidiomo further noted that technology is reshaping work, learning and governance, adding that Nigeria cannot build a 21st century economy with a 20th century mindset.
“We cannot formulate effective digital policies without understanding the technologies transforming our society. We cannot discuss youth empowerment without digital skills, nor national security without cybersecurity,” he said.
He urged students to prepare for responsibility beyond certificates by developing competence, understanding technology and governance, and protecting their integrity.
“The Nigeria we want cannot be built by government alone. It will be built by citizens, institutions and a generation willing to accept responsibility for the future. Our role is to create the enabling environment. Your responsibility is to prepare to take that work further,” he added.
The event had in attendance several dignitaries including members of the House of Representatives, government officials, student representatives from universities across the country, among others.
