Ruqayat Motunrayo Shittu, a 27-year-old Kwara State legislator who represents the Owode/Onirin Constituency of the Asa Local Government Area, is currently Nigeria’s youngest female legislator.
A alumni of Mass Correspondence from the Public Open College Of Nigeria Hon Ruqayat is the Executive, House Board on Young people, Sports,
In this meeting, she talked about her political excursion, her relationship with other more established and more experienced legislators and her enthusiasm to affect the existences of her kin decidedly.
As the country’s youngest female state legislator, how do you see your entry into politics?
It makes a lot of noise, but I don’t let it get to me because I think it comes with a lot of responsibility and that if you really want to make a statement, you have to do something really big. It has nothing to do with being young or a woman.
The constitution doesn’t say since she’s a lady you need to give her either, this is a majority rules government. In addition, my entry into politics has been extremely hectic due to the fact that Nigerian politics carries its own responsibility, and I believe I am contributing in my own small way.
Did anything motivate you to continue on this path? I can say I ended up here on the grounds that in life you may be holding back nothing you find that is totally unexpected for you. Yes, something similar has been in my dreams, but not immediately. I have always been someone who is passionate about governance.
While I was as yet youthful, in my essential and auxiliary school, I involved one position or the other and furthermore when I was doing my Recognition in Mass Correspondences program at Kwara State School of Arabic and Islamic Examinations (CAILS).
I was always ready to participate in community activities, and my father encouraged and inspired me because he saw it in me. He was in charge of all of the university positions I ran for, even during my diploma program.
My dad generally gave me cash to proceed to challenge for one position or the other,
he truly urged me a great deal to get things done. So, I didn’t just end up here; it’s something I’m passionate about, and I’m glad to be fighting for it.
Even when I was a journalist, governance and women in politics were my main interests. As a result, what I’m advocating for is the best thing that could ever happen to me at this very moment.
Why didn’t you look for a job after graduation and enter politics instead?
I’ve always had a passion for politics, and I didn’t just get into it when I woke up. I was very involved in community activities in addition to actively participating in student politics while I was a student at the school. I have been a member of the APC since 2019 and was a member of the group “Kwara Must Change.”
Additionally, I actively participated in the “O to ge” movement, which ushered in the state’s current administration under Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The politics of the state of Kwara are unusual, and Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman specifically encouraged women to seek leadership roles.
In this current 10th get together, we have five ladies and that is the biggest number in any state in the whole North Focal of the country.
When we look at this, we can actually say that 35 percent of Kwara State has implemented affirmative action. I also remember that during the primary election, women joined their parties because they saw the kind of environment that is encouraging women to get involved in politics now in Kwara State. We had women who wanted to run for positions, including the House of Representatives, even in the PDP and the Labour party. Because of the governor’s actions, many young people are now ready to enter politics.
As a young person still learning, Governor AbdulRazak AbdulRahman, who serves as my role model, has taught me a lot. Under his leadership, Kwara is performing exceptionally well today, and we are breaking records with our actions as well as our words.
How do you comprehend your role as a legislator representing your constituency, and how do you intend to provide quality representation for your constituents?
In essence, I already knew what it meant to be a legislator because I had previously served as the Students Parliament’s Senate President. Thus, in my pronouncement, I expressed four significant things that I would be dealing with which are lawmaking, quality portrayal, leader oversight and electorate outreach. I have been doing such countless things on this four-bring up plan as set in my statement.
As a young, inexperienced legislator among older, more experienced legislators, do you feel intimidated?
In the presence of other veteran legislators, I never feel intimidated.
Since we resumed at the assembly, I have come to realize that you need to be constructive and enthusiastic about achieving your goals. I have not been left out in any way.
They never saw me as a young person who lacked value or had nothing to contribute to the success of the state assembly because they constantly asked me to do so many things even in the assembly.
Within the brief time that we have been in office, I have served in a variety of capacities as a member of the state assembly. We are all one, from the Speaker to the other principal officers. We are all open to one another. In this way, I’m constantly conveyed along in anything that we do in the state gathering.
What was your experience like on the campaign trail and how did you become a candidate for your party?
Through the APC primary election, I became the party’s candidate. Discussing my experience on the field, it was difficult. There were numerous storms that were anticipated. The sort of honor I was given as an up-and-comer turned out to be an uncommon one being an exceptionally youngster and a female.
Surprisingly, all of these put me to the test the most. But at the end of it all, I emerged victorious thanks to prayers, my determination to succeed, and the support of my supporters, including our governor.
What contributions have you made on the House floor?
I have supported and moved a few motions thus far. We are working on a bill, which I will not reveal at this time.
How will you support young people like you who want to work in politics in the future?
Many individuals have their own meanings of legislative issues. As a result, when they run for office, they won’t be accessible to their constituents and won’t reach out to them.
In my own circumstance, I will allow society members to describe or evaluate me. However, aside from the state government’s temporary relief, I have been working on my own to reach out to the underprivileged. I won’t take anyone with me when I go.
Therefore, unless I am unavailable, I ensure that I follow up on anything that comes to or passes through my office and travel to the villages. I have pictures of the last one I did before this rice treatment came up. I went to markets and rural settings. We continue to do that regardless, and I’ve been doing that for some time.
At the point when the lesser and senior optional schools continue for the following scholarly meeting, we will have a mentorship program and we are having a little bundle for a portion of the understudies who did well in the last term to empower understudies in front of another term. We will also give away free iPads to over 1,000 students in the Owode Onirin constituency. All of these devices are already on the ground; we just need to wait for school to start again before we can go there and do the necessary things. In addition, we will provide mentoring in politics and governance during that process.
What advice do you have for Nigerians who are currently experiencing difficult times as a result of the removal of the oil subsidy?
I want everyone to know that building a house is not a one-time event; rather, it is a long and laborious process in which many steps must be completed before construction can begin. The campaign that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu launched was dubbed “Renewed Hope” because his administration is dedicated to creating a new Nigeria.
We must be patient with him because he is eager to work for a better Nigeria and this cannot happen in a day, month, or two.
