Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki

Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki is a Nigerian senator who was elected to represent the Kwara central Senatorial district under the platform of the People's Democratic Party in the year 2003.^[1] She was elected into the House of Representatives in 1999 representing Asa/Ilorin West Federal Constituency, Kwara State.^[1]

Background

Saraki attended the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom and earned a bachelor's degree in Economics. She did her national service at the Nigeria Bank for Commerce and Industry, Lagos. She worked for the Societe Generale Bank (Nigeria) as Head of Money Markets and later as Head of Domiciliary Accounts. From 1994 to 1999 she was Executive Director of Ashmount Insurance Brokers, Lagos.She is widely known for her intelligence, philanthropy and love for education. It is on record that asides her father, Dr Olusola Saraki, no politician (male or female) from north central zone has given out as much schorlarship as Gbemi Saraki. Gbemi Saraki is Kwara's biggest grassroots mobilizer. ^[2]

Her father is Abubakar Olusola Saraki, who was a leading senator of the Second Nigerian Republic (1979–1983).^[3] Her brother, Abubakar Bukola Saraki was governor of Kwara State, Nigeria from 29 May 2003 to 29 May 2011 and is the Senate President 8th Senate in Nigeria.^[4]

Political career

Gbemisola R. Saraki was elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 1999 under the umbrella of the All People's Party (APP). She ran under the umbrella of the People's Democratic Party, (PDP) for the senate in 2003 and won the seat, representing the Central Senatorial District of Kwara State. She re-contested in 2007 and won again, serving as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for eight years. 2003-2011. She is the female legislator with the highest number of sponsored bills in Nigeria. As a legislator, she was an active member of the following House Committees:

1. House Committees on Aviation;

2. Foreign Travel Habitat;

3. Legislative Budget and Research Office;

4. Navy;

5. Privatization;

6. Special Duties;

7. Transport.

At the Senate, Gbemisola Saraki chaired several high profile committees, including, the Senate Committee on National Planning, Poverty Alleviation and Economic Affairs and the Senate Committee on Corruption. Her last duty call was the Senate Committee on Marine Transport. Apart from being the chairperson of the above mentioned committees, she has also acted as Vice-Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and belonged to the following Committees:

1. Media and Publicity;

2. Women Affairs and Youth development;

3. Environment and Ecology; and Public Accounts.

4. Senate Committees on Commerce;

5. Rules and Business, Police Affairs;

6. Intergovernmental Affairs and Aviation.

She was also a returning member of the ECOWAS Parliament. Saraki defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015. In February 2016, Saraki was appointed by President Muhammed Buhari as the Pro Chancellor and Chairperson of the Federal University Otuoke, Baylesa. On the 13th February 2017, Saraki was also appointed as one of the 16-member committee to re-negotiate its 2009 agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ^[1]

References

Legislative Career