Babajide Christopher Omoworare was born at about 9.00pm on Thursday October 31, 1968 at the General Hospital, Ilesa into a devout Catholic family of Oloye Joseph Larewaju Omoworare and Omo-oba Teniade Areoye Omoworare (Nee Aderemi), who both hail from Ile-Ife, Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, when his father was the Principal of Ebenezer Grammar School, Ijeda in Oriade Local Government Area of the State of Osun, Nigeria.
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He started schooling at Sijuwade Nursery and Primary School, advanced to St. Johns Grammar School and thereafter in 1989 obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from Obafemi Awolowo University, all in Ile-Ife. He became a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1990 having graduated from the Nigerian Law School and became a Notary Public in 1998. Senator Omoworare also obtained a Diploma in Entrepreneurship Development from the Lagos Business School, a Masters in Law (LL.M) from University of Lagos, a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Business School Netherland and he is currently a PhD scholar at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of Lagos.
Babajide Omoworare; an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Mediators & Conciliators, a Fellow of the Society of Construction Industry Arbitrators, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Nigeria Bar Association, Commonwealth Lawyers Association and International Bar Association is a consummate practising lawyer. He worked at Babalakin & Co. from 1991 till 1998. He founded Omoworare & Co (Legal Consultants) in 1999 before he joined politics. He is also the Managing consultant of Cosmopolitan Consult (Tax, Law and Training Consultants) and ABLE Legal Consult. Babajide grew up with a vast knowledge of farming from the family farm estate situate at Ooyo Omoworare via Famia and Oyere Aborisade Farm Settlement, both in Ife North Local Government Area. He took up responsibilities at different times as a Farm Assistant, Farm Manager and Director.
Emanating from a family with a deep history of nationalism, politics and public service, (his Paternal Great Grandfather) Pa Daniel Omoworare was a founding member of Egbe Agba Afenifere, Ooni Adesoji Tadenikawo Aderemi (his Maternal Grandfather) was the first black African Governor and his sister, Hon. Olanike Omoworare was the first female Deputy Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly and indeed Nigeria. As a student, Senator Omoworare was a member of the Peoples Front (PF), one of the groups that made up Social Democratic Party (SDP). Senator Babajide Omoworare joined the Alliance for Democracy (AD), contested and won election as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) representing Ifako-Ijaiye State Constituency 1 between 1999 and 2007. He chaired the Committees on Judiciary, Ethics & Privileges, Human Rights & Public Petitions.
He also chaired several ad hoc committees and played active role in the creation of Local Governments in Lagos State (1999-2003). After his re-election into LAHA in 2003, he was elected the Majority Leader and was made the Chairman of the Business Rules and Standing Orders Committee.
As a Lagos Parliamentarian, he influenced so many developmental projects within his constituency including but not limited to a General Hospital, a Magistrate Court, construction and rehabilitation of over 20 (twenty) roads, a Sports Gymnasium, provision of several electricity transformers, street lights and traffic lights, rehabilitation of Ibari Water Works, reconstruction of Yaya Abatan bridge and provision of effective solution to environmental degradation caused by gully erosion within his constituencyOmoworare contested Osun East Senatorial seat in 2007, which the Court of Appeal, Ibadan nullified for widespread electoral malpractices and extensive violence and ordered a rerun of the election. However, Omoworare’s party Action Congress (AC) boycotted the election. He was fielded again in 2011 elections, which he won with a landslide margin under the auspices of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
With his victory at the 2015 polls on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Babajide Omoworare is serving a second term in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is currently the Chairman of Senate Committee on Legislative Compliance and he previously served as the Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee of the 8th Senate for about a year. In the 7th Senate (2011-2015) He was the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs (with oversight functions over some agencies under the presidency) and a member of the Senate Committees on Rules and Business, Judiciary, Petroleum (Upstream), Health and Sports. He is presently a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, member Senate Committees on Culture and Tourism, Water Resources and Anti-Corruption.
True to his legislative focus and determination to contribute qualitatively to Constitutional, Judiciary (including Prisons), Police, Health, and Education sector reforms and the legislative and budgeting process in Nigeria, the Senator with about twenty bills and several other motions to his credit in the last six years leads the list of active and productive lawmakers in the National Assembly. He will be remembered in the 7th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his historic call for Division of the Senate of the Rivers State Crisis; his Call for Probe of the Kerosene Subsidy; contribution on what the real role of Legislature is on budgeting; opposition to the
fraudulent African First Ladies Peace Mission house and others in the FCT budget. Senator Babajide Omoworare is a true party man, he was Secretary of the APC Senate Caucus of the National Assembly, his contribution and defense of Party position include but not limited to the Screening of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Senate Session with Prof Atahiru Jega on card reader and opposition to the PDP agenda against the card reader. Apart from lawmaking he will also be reminisced as a fierce debater on the floor and a principled parliamentarian with a knack for parliamentary rules.
Among other capacity development trainings, Omoworare an alumnus of the USA’s States Department International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), was trained in diverse areas of Democracy, Governance and Policy Development by reputable organisations like Department for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), British Council and Westminster Foundation for Democracy, USA National Centre for State Courts, United States National Democratic Institute (NDI); International Law Institute and Campaigns and Elections. He was a Delegate of the Mississippi Consortium for International Development, observed the USA 2004 Presidential Elections as well as the UK 2006 and 2010 Local Government Elections.
He is a member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and Global Fund against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Parliamentary ForumSince year 2003 he has been a specialist trainer in Parliamentary Procedure & Law Making, Ethics & Privileges and Budget and Budgeting Process to several State Houses of Assembly in Nigeria. He consulted for Justice Research Institute and Coalition for Change (DFID) on an Anti-Corruption Issue Based Project (IBP), which entailed drafting Anti-Corruption Clauses and Code of Ethics intended for specific Ministries of Federal Government of Nigeria.
He is certified by the World Bank Institute as proficient in budgeting and appropriation issues as well as proficiency in utilizing Parliamentary tools to tackle corruption and his services has been employed by the World Bank as a trainer/facilitator in legislating against corruption.
He is also an auxiliary consultant to the Nigerian Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS)He founded Afara, the Bridge for Community Development (ABCD) to engage his association with foreign development agencies for a direct benefit for the State of Osun. He has sponsored twenty-four youths from the State on leadership and exchange programme to Detroit, Michigan, USA, sponsored ten youths to Atlanta, Georgia, USA on an exchange visit facilitated by A. D. King Foundation, sponsored a total of fifteen entrepreneurs on two different United Kingdom Trade and Investment (UKTI) programs to Sheffield, UK and facilitated relationships between UKTI and Osun State based businessmen and policy makers. Recently, he midwife discussions between UKTI and State of Osun government on modalities of off-taking Osun farm produce.
A recent three-day working visit to Finland was made to enhance collaboration, foster partnerships and covet support. A quick win of the visit is the proposed partnership of the Finnish Government and the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife in the establishment of the International Centre for Conflict Resolution and Disaster Management, with estimated grant of One Million Euro. Significantly, he collaborated with Afford UK on an Exchange project by hosting five Nigerian youths from USA and UK in Ile-Ife and Osogbo as a test of his initiative to induce Nigerians in diaspora and at home to Work Invest Learn and Live (WILL) in the State of Osun as a development tool.
Projects implemented in his senatorial district are testimonies to his resourcefulness and capacity for delivery. Through different Federal Government Agencies he has been instrumental to the construction of a SkillsAcquisition Centre, construction of blocks of three classrooms, VIP toilet and borehole in four schools and renovation of blocks of classrooms in five schools.
He facilitated one Injection Power Station and provided thirty�five (300 & 500 KVA) transformers, illuminated twenty-four rural communities with Solar Power lights, constructed six Primary Health Care Centres and sunk eleven bore holes. With his Constituency Project Fund, Senator Omoworare led other Federal Legislators from his senatorial district to construct the Multimillion Naira Ipetu-Ijesa Waterworks, constructed two new schools and carried out intensive renovations in five other schools.
He also collaborated with public office holders and APC party chieftains in several communities to channel and ensure the location of several State developmental and infrastructural projects. Senator Omoworare personally funded community projects that include the renovation and furnishing of a school administrative building and renovations of two city/town halls, facelift of a palace, construction of four ultra-modern toilets, reconstruction of a community hall, renovation or roofing of five others etc. Senator Omoworare mandated ABCD to execute his Bond of HOPE (Health Care Development, Organized Youth Development, Poverty Alleviation & Education Development).
Five thousand, eight hundred and forty four people (2,950 in July/December 2012 and 2,894 between February and June 2017) are beneficiaries of his Free Family Health Fair Ilera L’oro. Ilera L’oro consist of registration, checking of Vital Signs, Urinalysis to unearth kidney or liver infections, Glucose Blood Sugar test and Malaria Parasite test. It also includes check up by Medical Doctors, Medical Counseling, treatments nts and free medications.
While Insecticide Treated Nets are given to children and pregnant women, Immunizations and Deworming are also carried out. The scheme has also picked several bills of individuals running to millions of Naira.Investments are similarly made into human capital development to ensure our young people are employed, employable or self-employed. By the grace of God, between year 2011 and 2014, the employment of Seventy eight young graduate indigenes of State of Osun into various Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were documented as directly influenced by Senator Omoworare. One hundred and sixteen young people had gone through the four Job Clinics; eighty-four young people from Ilesa and Ile-Ife enjoyed Computer Appreciation Training in 2013/2014. In 2016, fifty youths took part in a Youth Agricultural Training program organized with SMEDAN and PRODA was involved in Computer Proficiency Training for thirty selected teachers across the Senatorial District. Most importantly Senator Omoworare prompted and co-sponsored the organisation of the First ‘IfePrenuership’ training with the Bank of Industry and Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.
Likewise, ABCD is coordinating the 2011 initiative of Senator Omoworare to register about one hundred trade associations as cooperative societies. Some of these societies have been supported to benefit from the Micro Credit Loan Scheme of the State of Osun. The core of his Poverty Alleviation program has been through the incessant provision of working capital, work tools and machinery to women and young ones. This is in addition to the year 2013 and 2017 organised Empowerment program where a total of 325 Motor Cycles, 416 Grinding Machines, 206 Electric generators, 60 Sewing Machines and other products were given out through the Party Senator Omoworare had given Educational support funding or school fee augmentation to over 200 students or parents.
His quest for educational development include the inspiration and sponsorship given to National Ife Descendant Students Association (NIDSA) Federated Union of Modakeke Students (FUMS) and Federation of Ijesa Students Union (FISU) in the organisation of Summer Schools for Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in the respective communities. He sponsored two separate JAMB Clinics in Ilesa and Ile-Ife at the onset of the JAMB ICT/Computer Based Test with over three thousand students in attendance. The yearly distribution of free UTME, WAEC and NECO forms by Babajide Omoworare is unremitting.
In his effort to reach out to his Constituents, he holds monthly constituency meetings from one Local Government to another within the Senatorial District. From time to time, he also issues AFARA, a Constituency Bulletin. In recognition of his qualitative representation at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his impactful political participation in the country, the Federal Government of Nigeria conferred him with a National Honour in the rank of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
Senator Babajide Omoworare is married with children; he is a Member, Patron and Proprietor of numerous Church societies, sport clubs, charity organizations and Community Development Associations. He is also a Non Executive Director of some Profit and Non-Profit Interests.
MISSION
Senator Omoworare’s mission is to add value to legislative process and the lives of the people by contributing to enactment of laws that will engender sustainable human development, while being devoted to the campaign for the respect of human rights, rule of law, free trade, separation of powers, independence of the judiciary, a federal democratic structure in Nigeria and supremacy of a peoples’ Constitution
VISION
To provide a people centered participatory senatorial representation that will ensure a purposeful mobilization of the ingenuity and resources of the people of IFE/IJESA land for the establishment of an economic environment in which opportunities for the fulfillment of life and an improved Future is open to all.
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