House of Reps Celebrates One-Day Rep Suliat Haruna*

Yesterday marked yet another milestone in the promotion of child education and civic engagement as the Nigerian House of Representatives recognised 15-year-old Suliat Adeola Haruna, One-Day House of Representatives member representing Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency.

The outstanding young scholar from Idere in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State participated in an intellectual competition involving more than 2,700 SS3 students across public and private schools in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency.

Representing Idere Community at the grand finale of the well-attended contest on June 29, 2025, Miss Haruna competed against five exceptional finalists from Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan, the five principal towns in the constituency and emerged victorious.

The initiative, organised and sponsored by Hon. Dr. Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, now in its second edition, has a lot of benefits packed together for the winner, including but not limited to: the teenager and her parents will enjoy free return flights from Lagos to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, a two-day free accommodation and feeding in the FCT, certificate indicating one-day lawmaker status as a teenager, sitting on the official chair of the House of Representatives member representing Ibarapa Central/North Federal Constituency for one day with access to a green pen to decide for constituents in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North, witnessing the plenary of the House of Representatives live, meeting the Speaker of the House of Representatives and other distinguished lawmakers from different constituencies and senatorial districts of the federation, having practical knowledge of legislation through the Senior Legislative Aide (SLA) to Hon. (Dr.) Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, etc.

Recognising the One-Day Rep on Thursday, November 27 2025 during plenary session of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, congratulated Hon. Haruna on her outstanding performance in the intellectual competition. Reading her citation, Deputy Speaker expressed optimism that the competition would stimulate the interest of young children to face their studies squarely.

Rt. Hon. Kalu also commended Hon. Adepoju for his visionary leadership culminating in the birth of the noble idea, which has gained global attention. He enjoined other honourable members to emulate Hon. Adepoju so that children in their constituencies may be celebrated like Hon. Suliat. The Deputy Speaker expressed the well wishes of the House of Representatives for Miss Suliat, wishing her the very best in life.

Shortly after the recognition at the chambers, Hon. Suliat spent some quality time with the House of Representatives members from different parts of the federation at the chambers lobby before moving to her office to address members of the press and deliver her speech. She also met with Hon. Bello El-Rufai, Hon. Oyeshina Oyedeji, Hon. Akin Alabi, Hon. Leke Abejide, Hon. Akeem Adeyemi, Hon. Ojo Makanjuola, Hon. Muktar Tolani Shagaya, etc.

In her address, Hon. Suliat thanked Hon. Adepoju for creating a platform for younger ones like her to grow, saying that the impact of the One-Day Rep Initiative is far-reaching and its importance cannot be overstated. According to her, the initiative is not only inspiring but also empowering, giving young voices like hers the opportunity to engage, contribute and envision a greater Nigeria.

The young one-day lawmaker also made recommendations for an urgent solution to electricity outages in the constituency, urging the federal government of Nigeria through the Rural Electricity Agency to find lasting solution to the issue. She also asked for well-equipped first aid boxes in selected public and private schools in the constituency.

“Turning to the safety of our children and students, I ask – are our schools truly prepared to handle emergencies when they arise? It is heartbreaking to imagine a child injured or a child collapsing from an asthma attack or a deep cut left unattended without the means for immediate aid. This stark reality drives my proposal to donate standard First Aid boxes to selected public and private schools. This proposal may seem small on the surface, but its impact is profound and powerful toward creating a safer learning environment. Beyond just physical supplies, these kits symbolise our commitment to care and protection. They will equip school staff to act swiftly during accidents while also serving as teaching tools to instill health knowledge among students – a foundation for lifelong safety and awareness,” she remarked.

Prominent among other requests she made was the construction and maintenance of roads in each community to attract growth and development in the constituency’s agriculture and tourism sector.

“The state of our teaching infrastructure must be addressed. The tools of education matter just as much as the teachers themselves. Imagine a classroom where teachers struggle with worn-out chalkboards or inadequate writing materials, hindering effective instruction. This is a reality in many of our public schools. Providing modern maker boards to public secondary schools in my constituency is a crucial step toward enhancing the teaching and learning experience. With better tools, our educators will deliver lessons more efficiently, and our students will receive the quality education they deserve. This seemingly small upgrade can spark greater enthusiasm, engagement, and ultimately, academic success.” The speech read in parts.

Hon. Suliat was also lectured on the working system of the National Assembly by Barrister Lekan Awolusi, Senior Legislative Aide to Hon. Adepoju, where she was thoroughly tutored on how to navigate the complex nature of parliament if elected in the future.

After her official duty and meeting with a good number of House of Representatives members in the National Assembly, she and her parents had lunch with the Deputy Speaker and other teeming members of the House.

After that, Hon. Suliat visited Hon. Usman Muheeden Bamidele (Dele Bajaj) in his office in Abuja, where he hosted her to a light dinner. Hon. Usman praised the One-Day Rep’s exceptional brilliance, praying to see her in greater positions tomorrow as Hon. Adepoju has given such a platform for her to rise.

In celebration of her feat and for making the entire Ibarapa Land proud, Hon. Usman gifted her a brand new laptop, scholarship offers whenever she gains admission into university, a substantial amount of money for her and her proud parents, as well as branded perfume. He wished the young talented scholar well in her academic pursuits.

Hon. Usman also seized the moment to appreciate Hon. Adepoju for his efforts in the federal constituency, saying that his efforts on the constituency are visible to the blind and audible to the deaf, praying to God to continue to grant him all his heart desires.

After the meeting, Hon. Suliat, her parents and other well-wishers were escorted by Hon. Adepoju for a dinner in honour of the One-Day Rep.

Among the distinguished individuals Hon. Suliat met on Friday before her departure to Southwest from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was Dr. Wasiu Oyeleke, where the eminent indigene son of Ibarapa Land thanked God in the life of Hon. Suliat for having a lawmaker like Hon. Adepoju at her age.

Speaking at his office in Abuja on Friday, Dr. Oyeleke said Hon. Adepoju has unveiled a place where many individuals in the past never wanted anybody to see or have access to. He said even if some individuals are planning evils, the good work that Hon. Adepoju is doing and all that his late father did for Ibarapa Land will always make his enemies fail. He enjoined Hon. Suliat to leverage the opportunity to become the best she has always wanted to be. The academic doctor said he was impressed by all the clips of the event he watched online, which pointed to the fact that Ibarapa Land has a brighter future.

Also among selected individuals Hon. Suliat was billed to meet was Mr. Dominic Akinjide Fagbemi, who was not in town at the time of her visit to Abuja but also supported her with a cash gift.

Appreciating the entire people of Nigeria, Hon. Adepoju thanked all the members of the National Assembly for accepting the initiative with enthusiasm and for always waiting for the next edition to come. Hon. Adepoju also expressed his gratitude to the people of Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North for always supporting him.

The Ibarapa-born technocrat cum politician appealed to the general public to be a partner in progress through formidable collaboration, saying government cannot do it all. He prayed for Hon. Suliat and hoped that her remarkable feat would inspire millions of younger ones not only in Ibarapa Land but Nigeria as a whole.

Hon. Adepoju also extended his deepest appreciation to His Excellency, Engr. Oluwaseyi Makinde, whose leadership he said has resulted in the development of Oyo State in all ramifications, thanking him for his support and guidance at all times.

Hassan Adesodi Olaoniye
Special Adviser to Hon. Adebayo Adepoju
(Media and Publicity)
November 28, 2025