history of Nigeria senate president

Senator (Dr.) Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Senator
of Kwara Central, has experienced great
success in both the private sector and public
service of Nigeria.
Born on 19 December 1962, Senator Saraki
was educated in both Nigeria and the UK,
qualified and practiced as a medical doctor at
Rush Green Hospital in London. A young Dr.
Saraki decided to return to Nigeria in 1989
where he worked in the financial sector for
nearly a decade until he rose to the position of
Executive Director where he oversaw corporate
development and expansion programmes within
the financial industry.
In recognition of his experience and
professionalism, the Federal Government of
Nigeria appointed him as Special Assistant to
the President on Budget in 2000 where he was
responsible for preparing the 2000/2001
National Budget. Dr. Saraki equally initiated the
Fiscal Responsibility Bill and served on the
Economic Policy Co-ordination Committee,
where he was responsible for the formulation
and implementation of key economic policies
for Nigeria.
With a vision to translate his experiences into
progress and development for the people of his
home state, Dr. Saraki was called upon by his
people to contest for the position of Executive
Governor of Kwara State. He was elected and
sworn into office in 2003. Based on his
performances and achievements witnessed by
his people, and in demonstration of their
overwhelming support for him, the people of
Kwara State re-elected him in 2007 general
election for second term in office. As Governor,
Dr. Saraki garnered national and international
acclaim for his innovative approaches to
agriculture, health, education, fiscal policy and
environmental reforms. His spirit of team work
endeared him to his colleagues where he was
appointed as Chairman of the Nigeria
Governors Forum. In that capacity, he
championed a peer review mechanism among
the Governors of Nigerian states. He also used
the platform to create a harmonious working
relationship between the executive and the
legislative arm of government at the national
level. He was the first Nigerian Governor to be
awarded the National Honor of Commander of
the Order of the Niger (CON). As a man of the
people coupled with his level of achievements
in the political arena, he was conferred and
turbaned as a nobleman of high rank with a
traditional title of Turaki of Ilorin Emirate.
His transformational programs have been
praised and emulated within and outside
Nigeria, such as his community health
insurance scheme, environmental ‘Clean and
Green’ scheme, agricultural transformation by
turning Kwara State from a net importer to a
net exporter of food through the Zimbabwean
farmer’s project. Senator Saraki has worked
tirelessly to bring progress and greater
opportunity to Kwara State and the nation as a
whole.
In furtherance of his passion to serve the
people of Kwara State and in particular, Kwara
Central Senatorial District where he hails from.
Dr. Bukola Saraki was elected as a Senator in
2001 with overwhelming electoral votes. On his
assumption as a Senator of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, he was appointed as the
Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment
and Ecology. His legislative interest also
includes the area of Health, Agriculture,
Education, National economy and
Environmental policy. Senator Saraki is also a
member of the Senate Committees on Capital
markets and Finance.
Out of his vision to ensure good governance,
Senator Saraki sponsored a motion on the floor
of the Senate on the need to end the fuel
subsidy regime in Nigeria which has been a
source of conduit pipe and wastages of national
resources. Amongst other motions and private
member bills, he has sponsored includes: the
National Oil Spill Detection and Response
Agency Amendment Bill 2012 which is aimed at
putting a halt to oil spills in the Niger Delta, the
Gas Flaring Prohibition Bill 2012, and a strong
supporter of the Climate Change Commission
Bill 2013.
As the Senate Committee Chairman on
Environment and Ecology, ubukola Abubakar “Bukola” Saraki (born
December 19, 1962) is a Nigerian politician who
has been President of the Senate of Nigeria
since 2015. Previously he was Governor of
Kwara State from 2003 to 2011. He was first
elected to the Senate in April 2011, representing
the Kwara Central senatorial district, and re-
elected in the March 2015 elections.
He is a current member of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) and previous member of the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Early life and education
Abubakar Bukola Saraki was born on 19
December 1962 to the family of Olusola Saraki,
a senator (1979–1983) and a one time Senate
Leader of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
his mother Florence Morenike Saraki. He
attended King’s College, Lagos , from 1973 to
1978, and Cheltenham College, Cheltenham ,
London from 1979 to 1981 for his High School
Certificate. He then studied at the London
Hospital Medical College of the University of
London from 1982 to 1987, when he obtained
his M.B.B.S (London).
Career
He worked as a medical officer at Rush Green
Hospital , Essex , from 1988 to 1989. He was a
director of Société Générale Bank (Nig) Ltd from
1990 to 2000. [1]
In 2000, President Olusegun Obasanjo
appointed Saraki as Special Assistant to the
President on Budget. [2] During his tenure,
Saraki initiated the Fiscal Responsibility Bill.
Saraki also served on the Economic Policy
Coordination Committee, where he was
responsible for the formulation and
implementation of several key economic
policies for Nigeria.
Governor of Kwara State
In 2003, he ran for the office of governor of
Kwara State on the platform of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) , and won. He was
sworn into office in May 2003. He ran again for
re-election in 2007 and won his second term.
As governor of Kwara, he led reforms in
agriculture, health, education, finance and
environment policy. One of his major
achievements was inviting displaced white
farmers from Zimbabwe to Kwara State and
offering them an opportunity to farm. This led
to the establishment of Shonga Farms
programme, which is now being replicated
across Nigeria. His charisma among his fellow
governors got him appointed chairman of the
Nigeria Governors Forum.
Power generation and electricity
Under Saraki, Kwara became the first state to
complete the Nigeria Independent Power
Project. In collaboration with the Power Holding
Company of Nigeria , Saraki re-energised the
Ganmo Power Station at Ilorin, and connected
over 375 rural communities to the national grid
through the development and installation of 725
transformers and 7 substations. [3] Kwara also
completed 4 electrification projects which meant
power became stable 18–22 hours a day. 90%
of people living in Kwara have access to
electricity, compared to a national average in
Nigeria of 30%. [4]
Primary health care
While in office, Saraki introduced new health
programmes, including a statewide campaign in
2008 to reduce maternal and child mortality
from malaria. This included distribution of
insecticide-treated nets and free malaria drugs
to pregnant mothers and to children under the
age of five. [5] A statewide programme of
hospital development was also implemented,
leading to the redevelopment of hospitals in
Afon , Patigi and Lafiagi. Other measures
included improved training and re-training for
medical staff; refurbishment of hospitals and
staff living quarters; and employment of
qualified medical doctors and other health
workers. Many of the primary care programmes
were sponsored by international agencies such
as WHO and UNICEF . [6]
Agriculture and farming
Saraki introduced agricultural policy reforms to
increase the commercial viability of farming, and
also the volume of exports to international
markets. The New Nigerian Farmers Initiative
was designed to improve the technical
capability of farmers and to ensure farmers had
a significant financial stake in new investment in
agriculture. The scheme utilised the under-used
agricultural expertise in the Zimba