30 Facts About Monsurat Sunmonu

Monsurat Olajumoke Sunmonu was born on 9 April 1959 and is a Nigerian politician who served as a senator representing Oyo Central senatorial District between 2015 and 2019.

Monsurat Sunmonu represented Oyo Central Senatorial District, having won the election held on 28 March 2015.

Monsurat Sunmonu became the first female Speaker in the history of Oyo State on 10 June 2011.

Monsurat Sunmonu was born on 9 April 1959, in Oyo State to Alhaji Akeeb Alagbe Sunmonu and Alhaja Amudalat Jadesola Sunmonu and is of royal descent in Oyo Kingdom.

Monsurat Sunmonu later attended the Kwara State College of Technology for her 'A' levels.

Monsurat Sunmonu had a brief stint in the Accounts Department of the Property Development Corporation of Oyo state in Bodija Ibadan, Oyo State before travelling to the UK in 1979.

Monsurat Sunmonu later attended Lewisham College for her Business in Management Studies.

Monsurat Sunmonu climbed the ranks within the British Government, achieving a senior position, before departing in 2011 to contest for a seat in the Oyo State House of Assembly, she later became Speaker.

On 26 April 2011, Monsurat Sunmonu contested on the platform of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria for the Oyo East and Oyo West seat in the House of Assembly.

Monsurat Sunmonu was then nominated to be the Speaker of the House at its inauguration on 10 June 2011; she became the first female Speaker in the history of the Oyo State House of Assembly.

Monsurat Sunmonu is the first Speaker in Oyo State Assembly to use a full and uninterrupted term of government as Speaker.

Monsurat Sunmonu was honoured as one of the leading women in Nigeria.

In May 2012, Monsurat Sunmonu was elected as the Deputy Chair of the Conference of Speakers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a body comprising the 36 Speakers representing each State in the Federation.

Monsurat Sunmonu was the first Speaker in Oyo State history to sit on the executive council of the Conference of Speakers.

On 28 March 2015, Monsurat Sunmonu contested the Oyo Central Senatorial District seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress and secured victory with 105,378 votes, ahead of Luqman O Ilaka of the Accord with 84,675 votes and the People's Democratic Party candidate Sen.

Monsurat Sunmonu is the first female Senator to represent Oyo State in the Upper Chambers of the National Assembly.

On 24 July 2018, Monsurat Sunmonu decamped from the All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress.

On 15 November 2016, Monsurat Sunmonu moved a Motion during the Senate Plenary calling on the Federal Government to mandate public hospitals and medical institutions to treat accident and gunshot victims immediately and remove the bureaucracy of paperwork such as police reports and receipts of payment of medical expenses.

Monsurat Sunmonu has attended conferences both inside and outside of Nigeria on the issue of corruption and how to tackle it.

Monsurat Sunmonu is quoted in the press as saying that the Bill could adversely affect her constituents and, has argued that being a business, cattle-rearers should purchase land and not be allocated land for free by Government.

Monsurat Sunmonu is noted for her calls for Nigeria to reduce its carbon footprint and the need to turn to renewable sources of energy.

Monsurat Sunmonu argued against the culture of pushing all students to white collar academics, instead that adequate investment be made in technical colleges to open a new area of industry and help reduce unemployment.

Monsurat Sunmonu called for increased allocation to Technical Colleges within her Senatorial District.

Monsurat Sunmonu has been very vocal on the deterioration and non-completion of the Ibadan-Ilorin expressway, for which a contract was awarded in 1999.

On 4 August 2015, Monsurat Sunmonu was a co-sponsor of a motion moved by Sen.

Monsurat Sunmonu is reported to have met with the contractor and top government officials in an effort to ensure completion of the road.

Monsurat Sunmonu flagged off the resumption of work on 22 August 2016, about 1 year after moving the motion on the floor of the Senate with Sen.

Kabiru Gaya being quoted as saying that "Senator Monsurat Sunmonu was on the neck of the Senate and the committee to ensure that the road is accommodated in the budget".

Monsurat Sunmonu visited the Adegbayi axis of the Ibadan-Ife Expressway where the road was badly damaged.

Monsurat Sunmonu is reported to have immediately called the managing director of the company contracted to execute works and within 1 month, the area of the expressway was repaired.