By Udora Orizu

Rt. Hon. Babajimi Benson, the member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives, needs no much introduction, especially to keen observers of Nigeria’s legislative progressivism.

The third term lawmaker who turns 53 on Sunday, March 30, still approaches his duties as a lawmaker with the vigor and ebullience of a young man, almost more than when he was first elected into the hallowed Green Chambers of the National Assembly in his 40s.

The gusto with which JB (as he’s popularly called) performs his legislative functions of lawmaking, representation and oversight in his present age has singled him out as a good wine which the older it gets, the sweeter it becomes.

Is it lawmaking – bills and motions, representation – constituency projects and in interventions or oversight via committees work, Benson cannot be found wanting, rather the longer he stays on the job and older in age, the more the institution of National Assembly, his immediate constituency and Nigeria as a country get better results from him.

As he gets older and stays longer in the National Assembly, fragility and complacency have not set in as the cerebral lawmaker continues to prove economists wrong in their Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility.

His stay in National Assembly has seen Benson chairing the House Committee on Banking and Finance, Sub-Committee on Habitat; Deputy Chairman, Committee on Delegated Legislation; member of Committees on Works and the Defence Committee from June 2019 to date.

Born On March 30, 1972 in Ikorodu, Lagos State; the quintessential lawmaker studied law at the Lagos State University; graduated in 1994 with an LLB and attended the Nigerian Law School in 1995 and bagged a Bachelor of Law (Honours).

He then proceeded to obtain an LLM in Comparative International Business Law at the London Guildhall University graduating with a Merit in 1999 and capped it up with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Warwick Business School (UK).

A member of the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Bar Association, he worked variously as a Legal Officer in the General Counsel Division at the United Nations Headquarters, New York; in-house Legal Counsel at Ecobank; Deputy Manager (Legal), Lead Bank PLC; Non-Executive Director at the LekkiFreetrade Zone and Company Secretary (Strategy, Legal & Corporate Governance), Lagos State Development & Property Corporation (LSDPC).

Armed with that rich high profile public as well as private sectors experience and the crave to serve his people and nation better, Benson was first elected into the House of Representatives to represent Ikorodu Federal Constituency in 2015, re-elected in 2019 and again returned at the 2023 general election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Consolidating and even thriving as if to surpass his previous legislative outings, the lawmaker who retained his Defence Committee Chairmanship position, a feat rarely attained except in justification of the proverb that: “the reward for hard work is more work” resumed his third term with advancing age on impressive ground.

To mention but a few, Benson has sponsored the Good Samaritan Bill, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Alteration) Bill, 2020 to address the need for defined periodic population census in Nigeria, Electric Power Sector Reform Act (Amendment) Bill, 2020, a Bill for an Act to Amend the Armed Forces Act, Cap. A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Foster Collaboration Between the Armed Forces and Other Security Agencies.

He was not lacking in motions either as he moved the motion to commemorate the World Teachers Day and celebration of Nigerian Teachers, where the Best Teacher in Nigeria 2019, Mrs. Agnes Elusakin of Oriwu College, Ikorodu was honoured by the Speaker of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and members of the House; laid a petition before the House against the Accountant General of the Federation for his refusal to pay salaries and pension arrears of officers, who retired from the Federal Civil Service between 2012 and 2020.

The lawmaker also left indelible marks in the area of representation particularly that of constituency project with launching of the iCare Foundation project, a Food Bank idea conceptualised to cater for the aged, widows, needy and vulnerable; establishing a community radio in his Ikorodu constituency, the radio, IKD 106.1FM and securing employment and empowering many of his constituents.

Benson hit the ground running in his third term and the 10th House as he was appointed Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on the Screening of Service Chief Nominees before standing Committees were constituted.

Also, barely a month in the current Assembly, Benson sponsored the Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024 seeking to address the concerns of host communities, and set aside 5% of the actual annual operating expenditures of power generating companies (GENCOs) from the preceding year for the development of their respective host communities recently assented to by President Bola Tinubu.

In the ongoing Constitution review process of the 10th House, the lawmaker sponsored impactful bills which passed second reading and referred to the Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution.

One of such is the bill he co-sponsored with some lawmakers to upgrade the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos state to full-fledged local government areas (LGAs).

If enacted, the constitutional amendment bill would increase the number of LGAs in Lagos from 20 to 57 which he and the other proponents said granting full LGA status to the LCDAs would bring governance closer to the people.

Others are, “Bill for an Act to Alter the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to Rename and Transfer Fingerprints, Identification and Criminal Records in Part I – Exclusive Legislative List to Part II – Concurrent Legislative List and for Related Matters, Bill for an Act to Alter the Concurrent Legislative List of the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to Insert a New Paragraph which Provides for “Road Toll and for Related Matters, Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to insert a New Item in the Exclusive Legislative List with Respect to Piracies and Crimes Committed on the High Seas and for Related Matters.

He also moved an urgent motion on: “The Need for Justice, Safeguarding the Legacy of Late Ilerioluwa Olademeji Aloba A.K.A Mohbad, and Protecting the Rights of Young Promising Artists in Contracts with Their Record Labels.

The House adopted the motion with a resolution to monitor the investigation into the death of Afrobeats musician, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly called Mohbad, especially the allegations of harassment and unpaid royalties while the Committee on Justice took further legislative action.

The astute lawyer and financial expert also moved a motion of urgent national importance on: ”Need For Banks To Implement CBN’s Policies On Holding Excess Long Foreign Exchange And Net Open Position Limits” in which the House agrees to conduct an investigative hearing on.

Furthermore, the House Defence Committee under Benson monitored the investigation into the military drone attack that led to the death of over 80 Nigerians in Kaduna State in December, 2023.

To equip members of his Committee for the task ahead, Benson in collaboration with the National Defence College organised a two-day post inauguration retreat for members during which House Speaker, Hon Abbas Tajudeen commended him for the foresight in planning the retreat to equip lawmakers on how to discharge their oversight and lawmaking functions effectively.

On his part, the Defence Committee Chairman reiterated his assurance to Nigerians that members of the Committee were determined to carry out their legislative functions effectively, efficiently, and in a manner that will ensure the safety of lives and property.

“Consequently, I have sponsored several bills aimed at revolutionising Nigeria’s defence sector. These bills include the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Bill, Nigerian Armed Forces Support Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, Defence Research and Development Bureau Bill, Armed Forces Act (Amendment) Bill to establish a Space Force for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and many others,” he had said.

The ranking lawmaker still pushed for the revival of the Defence Industries Association of Nigeria (DIAN) which will help in transforming the security architecture of the country.

He had lamented that DICN which was established in 1964 to provide the material needs of the nation’s Armed forces and other security agencies has been unable to deliver on its mandate, adding that it was in attempt to correct this anomaly that he sponsored the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Bill in 2019 for DICN to transit into a Military Industrial Complex (MIC) by making it largely self-funding and giving it the powers.

Moreso, Benson who has been a member of the House of Representatives Constitutional Review Committee since the Eighth Assembly is an advocate of women inclusion in political and other leadership positions.

He supported and voted in favour of gender bills and as well lobbied and appealed to his colleagues to support the bills during voting on the constitution amendments in the last assembly.

No wonder, he was born in women’s month – March, when the International Women’s Day is celebrated while his birthday this year is on mothering Sunday, celebrated by many Christian denominations.

Benson’s enormous efforts in legislation have not gone unnoticed as he recently won THISDAY House Member of the Year award.

Justifying his choice for the award, the flagship media outfit wrote that the lawmaker had; “Introduced several bills and motions aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of security agents in the fight against insecurity.

*Orizu writes from Abuja

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