UCHENNA AWOM
The occasion was meant to be an avenue where the people of
Shanono/Bagwai Federal Constituency made their inputs into the ongoing
constitution review exercise but it turn out to be a platform where a
vote of confidence was passed on one of their sons, Honourable Farouk
Lawan UCHENNA AWOM reports
It was ordinarily an occasion to get the people’s input into the
on-going constitution review exercise, but it turned out to be more than
that. It became a carnival of sorts.
The people came out in their thousands to celebrate their son.
Nothing would stop them any way. Not even “those who designed evil
against an innocent person”.
A teacher in the crowd, Haruna Adamu Gogori, was full of anger as he
declared that those who designed evil against the “innocent person”
being celebrated on the occasion would fail.
The mood of the crowd was in tune with the thinking in many quarters
that a four-term member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Farouk
Lawan was set up by some dark forces for political ruination.
The dark forces in this case are those bent on stalemating the report
of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on petrol subsidy by
raking allegation of bribery against the former committee chairman,
Lawan.
The committee was apparently hard on the fraudsters in the subsidy
regime by exposing the rot. This has now been confirmed by the reports
of both Aigh Imokede and Mal Nuhu Ribadu whose findings and
recommendations substantially tally with the Farouk Lawan report. The
bribery allegation is seen as part of the move to rubbish the House
committee report. Farouk defended his action.
The lawmaker’s constituents in Shanono/Bagwai Federal Constituency,
Kano State used the opportunity provided by the public hearing on the
review of the 1999 constitution to give their son a clean bill of health
on the bribery saga.
Perhaps there is no better evidence to prove that Farouk acted
transparently on the petrol subsidy investigation than those that came
from his people who know him intimately.
Prof M D Mukhtar, a professor with Bayero university described the
allegations against the lawmaker as a concoction of lies to destroy
Farouk’s reputation and career. He lamented the manner in which the
system pulls down its best, noting that Lawan has become a first among
equals even amongst his colleagues in the National Assembly.
Another constituent, Alh Muhammad Tukur Gadanya a prominent wealthy
businessman in kano who confided that he had known the lawmaker from
childhood, said Farouk had always been above board and a dogged fighter
who “simply is incapable of the wicked lies they concocted against him”.
Aisha, also a constituent and petty trader, said it was inconceivable
that Farouk “will do the sort of things they want us to believe he did”.
She added: “Allah is great. The truth is beginning to come out”. The
crowd went wild when the serial lawmaker arrived the venue of the public
hearing, chanting a victory song: “Shanono/Bagwai Sai Farouk”. For
several minutes, Farouk could not disembark from the black SUV that
brought him as the crowd surrounded the vehicle.
On alighting from the vehicle, the lawmaker, overwhelmed by the show
of solidarity, could only utter a few words. “I thank … I am really
grateful to you all. May Allah continue to be with you all. I bear no
malice against anyone. Long live Nigeria,” he told the constituents.
Although the occasion was in connection with the constitution review,
Farouk’s constituents made the point clear: Our son is our hero and we
are proud of him. This became very clear when a thunderous applause
greeted the remark by Dr Ayuba Ibrahim, a former director of the
National orientation agency that the people identify with him and are
very proud of his dogged fight against enemies of progress and good
governance.
Addressing the constituents on the business of the day, the lawmaker
told the gathering that the House decided to adopt a rigorous approach
to the constitution review exercise in order to ensure the credibility
of the process in a bid to give Nigerians the opportunity of
contributing to a process that would give the country a better
constitution.
“The programme is a consultative initiative of the House of
Representatives aimed at ensuring a more participatory, inclusive and
transparent review of the constitution.”
He, therefore, implored the people “to look critically at the
provisions of the 1999 Constitution and suggest new areas they would
want included or existing provisions they want amended or expunged from
the constitution.”
However, many people from the constituency said they wanted real
autonomy for local governments. They also favoured the creation of more
states provided that population and land mass will play critical role as
part of the defining criteria, but are opposed to the idea of state
police.
In his remarks, representative of the Chairman of the Committee for
the creation of Ghari state from the present Kano State, Alhaji Haruna
Mohammed Shanono, renewed his justification for the proposed state. He
said there was no reason that additional states should not be created
from the present Kano State in view of its population and land mass.
The agitation for the creation of Ghari state started during the regime of the late Gen Sani Abacha.
The session was well attended with virtually all prominent indigenes
of the constituency in attendance. They included traditional rulers,
business community leaders, members of various unions, women, youths,
physically challenged and people of all walks of life.
Among the dignitaries that graced the public hearing were, former
Military Governor of Akwa Ibom State. Col. Yakubu Bako, who chaired the
session, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Gadanya, Alhaji Ayuba Ibrahim Adamu,
former director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Alhaji Abdullahi
Beza; former National Vice-President North West, Nigeria Union of
Journalist (NUJ), Hon Lawan Safiyanu Gogori and Alhaji Haruna Mohammed
Shanono, Alh Zakari Ibrahim, Hon Ado Isyaku Daddauda, Dr Muhd Ibn
Abdullah, Alh Adamu Said Ahmed.
Leadership
