On stewardship of Sen Ahmed Lawan

Nigeria went through harrowing experience of decades of military. The impact of those military days are staggering – on our nation and even our psyche.

It will take decades to get rid of the impacts of military on us all. Under military rule, we found ourselves without basic rights; freedom of speech and freedom of association. We had a situation whereby openness is strange. But here we are, making steady progress, gradually recovering our freedoms and consolidating on the gains of democracy.

Since 1999, Nigeria’s democracy has been thriving and making tremendous progress. After a protracted bout of military rule that lasted decades many democratic institutions had to almost start afresh because series of coups have truncated them.

The legislature is the major casualty in this case. That was why one can argue that the legislature is the most misunderstood arm of Nigerian government. In line with democratic culture across the world this institution remains closest to the people.

Despite the often bad news coming out of the National Assembly, it is a fact that it the arm of government that is more democratic and more transparent; compared to others. The legislature through its activities ranging from daily sittings, committee works, budget, oversight, investigative hearings and dealing with petitions from ordinary citizens always emerge as the daily reminder that we are in a democracy.

The institution itself is gradually gaining ground and becoming what it should be – the pillar of democracy.

It was because of the so many negative stories around the national assembly that we tend to overlook the good the institution has been doing – how it always comes to the rescue of our democracy by providing the balance that proves, in real terms, power belongs to the people.

It is because of the often negative stories around the National Assembly that we tend to shy away from noticing how the institution is producing leaders and building a set of leaders that can shape the future of this country.

One of the legacies that the national assembly is building is lawmakers who through experience, competence and consistent dedication to the progress of Nigeria become icons of hope for our democracy.

Unfortunately lawmakers rarely get praise for their dedication to their people and commitment to the good of Nigeria. I choose to start charting the cause of appreciating the very best of the best in the legislative arm of Nigerian government.

This brings me to the point: Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan the current majority leader of the senate. Not many people know that he is one of the very few who have been representing his people in the National Assembly since 1999. Senator Ahmed Lawan stands today in the senate as one of the two only lawmakers who have been part of the journey right from the beginning – right from the scratch in 1999.

Locally Senator Ahmed Lawan has been able to do a lot to his people. We in Yobe North, that comprises, Bade, Karasuwa, Machina, Nguru, Jakusko, Machina and Yusufari local governments in northern zone of Yobe state have benefited and are still benefitting from the quality representation by Senator Ahmed Lawan. Apart from attracting many federal projects he also never stay silent when the need to speak on behalf of his people arises.

We the people of Yobe north are agrarian. Some years ago we almost got off our means of livelihood by the impact Challawa dam – which can be described as the origin of the dwindling irrigation fortunes of Yobe north. While our people were yet to recover from the damages of Challawa dam, some years ago we had a shocker that was the horrifying news of a plan to construct Kafin Zaki dam.

However, Senator Ahmad Lawan proved to be his people’s representative by standing up, and fighting the devastation that was the plan for Kafin Zaki dam. He single headedly fought the plan that might deprive our people of the seasonal floods that facilitate irrigation farming.

Senator Ahmed Lawan’s handling of the issue of Kafin Zaki dam was a symbol of how a legislator can protect his people through the instruments of advocacy, enlightenment and legislative resistance and firm commitment to making the people a top priority.

From 1999 to date Senator Ahmad Lawan has been securing employment for youths across his constituency, too numerous to mention. This achievement was not possible without his desire to empower the youths by securing for them the opportunity to excel in life. His intervention facilitated the award of contract for the Nguru-Gashu’a-Baymari road, which is the lifeline of the people of North and Eastern parts of Yobe.

Senator Ahmad Lawan was instrumental to the all-important dredging of Kumadugu-Yobe, starting from Jaliyo in Guri local government, going through Nguru Bade, Karasuwa and Jakusko local governments. Under ecological fund, the lawmaker brought flood control project that is right now on going in Nguru and Gashua. In many towns of his zone, culverts were provided to end perennial flooding.

One of the major setbacks facing Yobe north for so long is poor or lack of adequate power supply. This is a problem that the senator tackled head on, leading to the ongoing project that brings major power sub-stations in Gashua and Nguru. This means that the zone now has two major power sources; from Hadejia and Damaturu major lines. The senator also provided 52 transformers that will make distribution of power much easier across the zone.

On his own the lawmaker under his philanthropic foundation SAIL Foundation provided fully equipped two model laboratories and two dialysis machines in Federal Medical Centre Nguru. Already, he was instrumental to an investigation by experts from Federal Ministry of Health on the major causes of rising renal failure in the zone.

On the social realm, the senator is currently building a modern maternal and child hospital in Gashua. He also built Model Islamiyya schools in all the local governments in the zone, to boost western and Islamic education.

Since 2008 Senator Ahmad Lawan has been giving scholarship to students of tertiary institutions across all the local governments in the zone, as well as providing free 1000 JAMB forms every year. He also provided additional computer-based test centre in Federal University Gashua to ease the burden on the only one available.

Over 1000 youths have benefitted from his youth empowerment programmes run in conjunction with SMEDAN and NDE. All beneficiaries were also provided with working tools for take up. Every year the lawmaker also run free medical outreach that benefits thousands of people.

At the national level Senator Ahmed Lawan is well known as a consistent politicians who stuck to the party that represents the yearnings of his people. In these days of rampant political skullduggery he remains where he belongs – the party he was a founding member of since the 1999.

More importantly Senator Ahmed Lawan has remained a pillar of support for the government and ideals of President Muhammadu Buhari. Through his political skills he was able to remain the major source of support for this government in its fight against corruption, overcoming security challenges, development of agriculture and massive development of infrastructure across the country.

In so many ways he has been on forefront of building and garneting support for his party APC – and he continuous to be a good example of a politician faithful to his party and its ideals. At the state level Senator Ahmad Lawan has been supportive and complementing the tremendous development achievements of the government of Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam.

In the legislature across the world experience matters as in other aspects of life. By virtue of his being one of the top lawmakers in Nigeria by ranking Senator Ahmed Lawan is one of the reasons we should have more confidence of the legislature as an institution.