Muktar Shagaya: The Distinguished House Of Representatives Member Of The Federal Republic of Nigeria

By Basheer Luqman Olarewaju

One of the most striking facts about the men and women in the Nigerian National Assembly is that they are uncommon Nigerians. One of these uncommon legislators who has been bracing all factors and truly can be described as a super God's gift to the House of Representatives is Honourable Muktar Tolani Shagaya.

Honourable Muktar Tolani Shagaya, the member representing Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency, is a true believer in qualitative representation. He has been taking an active part in debates on the floor of the House and is fast recognized as one of the brilliant minds in the National Assembly. He is always on the side of truth, progress, and justice, and his views truly reflect the wishes and aspirations of his constituents.

Shagaya is a man of eloquence who can supply the oratorical gloss to finish legislation during floor debates. He is equipped with incredible leadership and legislative skills that make him stand as a superb craftsman behind any committee doors. It is sufficient to say that he hastens his legislative duties by protecting his state's interests and representing his points of view on the issues of the day. He adheres to the dictates of his own conscience; a relentless investigator and cheerful pragmatist whose willingness to split the differences and raise issues, motions, and of course, sponsor bills endears him to Nigerian citizens as a pragmatic rising star in the National Assembly.

Aside from his contributions to numerous motions in the 10th Assembly, the adoption of his first motion moved by Hon. Muktar Shagaya, which called on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that the outbreak of diphtheria disease now ravaging the country is effectively tackled in order to reduce the number of fatalities presently being recorded in some states of the Federation, has reached the height of nationwide acceptability and recognition. The same goes for his first bill, which has the potential to create a system of vigorous prosecution and punishment of electoral offenders.

His party leaders and members recognized his true commitment to party ideals and worked with him to emerge victorious in the general elections. Despite it being his first term in the House of Representatives, he has demonstrated his true passion for issues concerning his constituents and Nigeria as a whole. He has begun working passionately to address matters of great concern to his people and quickly earned a reputation as a true and brilliant legislator.

Frankly, among his colleagues in the 10th Assembly, no one is ever going to be at home with committee machinations and floor debates more than Honourable Muktar Tolani Shagaya: energy, eloquence, wit, good humor, in-depth analysis, intelligence, frankness, and honor—all these are his worthy qualities, esteemed by fellow members and all men, in their fellows.

Cataloging these virtues of Honorable Shagaya is, to say the least, describing the special qualities that make a representative rank as a focused, effective, and reliable legislator. In candor, he has been a good member of the house, even a great one, who is not without flaws or reproach in his personal code.

Humanly, there is an aura about him, seeing himself as a maverick, whose career in the national spotlight will be defined by the times he lived up to his principles and by those times that he didn't. An energetic young politician with a strong moral compass, willing to defend the interests of his constituents at any given time and facilitate unprecedented development in his constituency. He holds himself and everyone around him to a high standard. In the nearest future, he is truly, like all humans, going to have collections of moments that define his extraordinary life as one of Nigeria's influential lawmakers.

His major political philosophy is to make our citizens believe that our country offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it and that though we have come a long way from the old injustices that have stained our country's reputation and denied many of her citizens the full blessings of Nigerian citizenship, the memory of them, even when it still has the power to wound, we can change it for the better. This is because he believes that our country today should be away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time and let there be no reason now for Nigerians to fail to cherish their citizenship in this most blessed nation in Africa.