Senator Uba Sani representing the Kaduna Central District is without a doubt, among the most effective lawmakers in the 9th Nigerian Senate.
Effectiveness assessment scales of Senators are based on metrics that take into account the number of bills a legislator sponsors, how far each of those bills advances through the legislative process from introduction to (possibly) becoming law and its relative substantive significance.
In general, every genuine legislative effectiveness ranking would show that Uba Sani tends to outperform all other 9th Assembly legislators in regard to his law-making effectiveness.
Significantly, Uba Sani, can without fear of contradiction, be said to be about twice as effective as his current counterparts in the Senate and thrice as his predecessors from Kaduna state.
And in the state’s political space, which tends to be more egalitarian, the gap between Uba and his contemporaries, rises by about one-third with every bill successfully sponsored.
This sort of constituency confidence and trust was proved when just recently, Uba Sani received the people of Giwa local government, who paid him a courtesy visit to show appreciation for the recent bill he sponsored, for an Act to establish a Federal College of Education in Giwa, Kaduna state.
The delegation comprised of local govt party executives, Council members, religious leaders, traditional title holders and youth leaders, headed by the council chairman.
And earlier, the entire stakeholders of Birnin-Gwari gocal government area led by the Council Chairman, Garba Gambo Randagi paid him a visit to discuss crucial issues bordering on security, infrastructure, agriculture, youth and women empowerment and hosts of other intervention programmes.
The delegation which comprised traditional and religious leaders, party excos, local government excos, youth and women leaders also expressed gratitude for his sponsorship of a bill seeking to establish a Federal College of Forestry Technology and Research in Birnin Gwari that had already passed the first reading.
A political diplomat, Uba Sani humbly reassured the two sets of visitors of his commitment to continue to make efforts to attract various intervention programmes for the people of Kaduna Central.
Most recently too, his Bill for an Act to Establish the Federal University of Technology, Kaduna passed first reading in the Senate as another important step in a move to convert the famous Kaduna Polytechnic to a University of Technology.
A similar attempt was made in the 8th National Assembly by Senator Barau Jibrin (Kano North), to convert KadPoly to a City University but it did not come to fruition.
Significant to note that when this Bill eventually becomes law, the infrastructural challenges confronting the foremost institution would be addressed. The institution will be repositioned to contribute effectively to the production of the skilled manpower needed for Nigeria’s industrialisation.
This latest effort brings to a total of five the bills successfully sponsored by Uba in less than six months.
On the first day of his resumption of oversight functions, he moved a motion capable of saving the image of the Senate, arising from a scandalous physical assault on an innocent young lady in Abuja by a lawmaker from Adamawa state. Within minutes, Uba’s motion and Senate’s response dominated national and international news space. It went viral. Indeed, the lawmaker attracted international attention and he became endeared to women liberation groups at home and abroad. Such was the extent of the impact of that motion. He very quickly became an icon of honour for women in search of a legislative voice on violence against women in Nigeria.
Few weeks later, another engaging national issue cropped up, this time in Wurma village, within Senator Uba Sani’s immediate constituency of Igabi local government area of Kaduna state. Measles epidemic claimed the lives of over 100 children and was on the verge of becoming a national epidemic. It took Senator Uba Sani’s swift action by way of a motion at the Red Chamber to avert its spread.
Thus, while committee and subcommittee chairs are in most cases believed to tend to outperform other legislators, with seniority also contributing to a legislator’s effectiveness, for Uba Sani, one of the youngest serving members of the Senate to prominently appear on the top list is close to a miracle.
And since notably, lawmaking effectiveness is a sure guarantee of electoral success, lack of which was why Shehu Sani and Suleiman Hunkuyi both lost their reelection bids, Uba, with the current giant strides, appears poised to make a long stay in the Senate if he wishes to.
His chances would be further brightened by his chain of constituency support efforts as expressed recently when the first batch of 100 people benefitted from his Young Millionnaires scheme.
These 100 young men and women who received agribusiness training sponsored by Uba Sani graduated in Kaduna as part of a scheme that aims to produce 1000 entrepreneurs, who will in turn employ thousands in their various poultry and fish enterprises.
The first batch of 100 beneficiaries who concluded a comprehensive one-month training in modern recreative poultry and fishery business were awarded certificates at a grand ceremony attended by dignitaries and supporters across the state.
And expectedly, the initiative would continue to draw accolades from various state’s political, traditional, religious leaders and the civil society with a sealed guarantee of support across the state.
As a mark of respect for his empowerment projects, the Nigerian Bar Association, Kaduna State Branch recently honored him. A few weeks later, in far away Kano State, he was again honored along with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje.
As 2019 closes, Senator Uba Sani has made a big mark within six months, making him twice effective than all his colleagues from Kaduna State and parts of the country. This is no mean feat.
Dambatta, a media consultant sent in this piece from Kaduna