Hon. Leke Joseph Abejide is a federal lawmaker with a difference in the National Assembly. This is because of his outstanding contributions and performance at the House of Representatives and for his constituents. Since his election into the 9th assembly and re-election in the 10th assembly, Abejide has not rested on his oars in fulfilling his campaign promises.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, lawmaker, representing Yagba East/Yagba West Mopamuro, Kogi state, has facilitated people-oriented projects and programmes that have benefited his constituents and made them self-reliant.
Abejide, who was the deputy chairman, House Committee on Customs in the 9th assembly, became the committee’s chairman in the 10th assemble. This is part of his success story because it is very rear to rise from a deputy chairman to chairman of the same committee in the house.
However, he attained this feat because of his outstanding performance having sponsored a bill repealing the Customs and Excise Management Act, 2004. The Bill enacted the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2022, which was to provide for the reform of the administration and management of Customs and Excise in Nigeria; and related matters.
That gave him an edge over other members and the admiration of Customs officers as he was seen as a man of prowess that is willing to carry their reform to an upward swing.
Aside that, Abejide moved several motions of state and national interest.
He also established a non-partisan and non-governmental organisation, known as Leke Abejide Foundation, aimed at catering for the needs of his people especially the less privileged and widows.
These include rural infrastructural development, women and youths empowerment, health care, poverty alleviation, agriculture and food security, among others.
His motions and bills on the floor of the House include: The need to harmonise the issuance and sale of emblems and stickers on commercial motor vehicles throughout the country; The need to urgently address the unabated daily kidnapping, killings, banditry and armed robbery along the Abuja-Lokoja-Kabba federal road; The need to prioritise the payment of salaries, entitlements, and arrears of workers and pensioners in Kogi state.
Others are: The need to reverse the Nigeria Customs ban on the use of barges for the evacuation of containers and other cargoes to and from the ports;
The need to phase out unpainted taxis in the Federal Capital Territory transport system; The need for the Central Bank of Nigeria to suspend the implementation of guidelines on the introduction of e-evaluator, and e-invoicing for imports and exports in Nigeria; The need to audit, and reconcile receipts and remittances of Custom duties and levies by collecting banks about Customs area commands collections across the seaports, airports, land borders and bonded terminals, among others.
Chris Alu,
Abuja
