Distinguished Senator Barau I. Jibrin, Deputy Senate President and First Deputy Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, infused political maturity and democratic realities into his primary constituency, his local root, Kano North Senatorial District. While his impact goes beyond original expectations. It is felt at both national and regional spaces.
Only blind observers can fault DSP’s efforts across the spectrum of our existence. Yes, as a legislator, his primary responsibility starts and ends with legislation process in the hallowed chamber of the Senate. Yet, he believes that influencing infrastructural development, among other efforts should also be encapsulated as part of his shopping list.
Believe it or not, road construction, building schools, clearing farmlands, etc, are responsibilities place on the shoulders of the executive arm of government. But still Senator Barau intervenes in these areas where he deems fit, with all visibility. You remember infrastructures he initiated and put on the soil of the newly established University of Science and Technology, Kabo. An institution he initiated, followed-up, lobbied, smoothened legislative process and gave birth to.
As governance generally is continuum, legislation follows suit in many respects. In his past days in the Senate, many infrastructures were lobbied to be revisited by the federal government. Gwarzo federal road, for example. In the ninth (9th) Assembly, DSP put almost all the structures of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) satellite campuses across all local governments of his constituency, Kano North. It was him who lobbied and influenced the establishment of those campuses in his constituency, local root. His attachment to knowledge, knowledge and knowledge, always sets him at the centrestage among most visible politicians across Northern Nigeria. So also his impact, cuts across states. National fruit.
DSP’s specific and special interest in human development places him above many politicians, legislators and non-legislators. While he believes in local and humble beginning, his yardstick is placed above his constituency. Why? Because, he understands what hegemony means to national development. Hence, his careful selection of intervention areas. He is an apt, genuine and high profile interventionist. Humility and patience in the face of any political ploys, fix him above many of his contemporaries.
Without any fear of mincing words, or acrobatic expression of realities, Deputy Senate President has become a Divine Sign (Ayah) divinely projected and protected against all political odds, ploys and unimaginables. Come to think of it, a Distinguished Senator of his caliber, who suffered political persecution, unjust marginalization and intended humiliation, is now one of the most respected politicians in the eyes of Nigeria’s political development. This signifies another stage of human existence.
Apart from thousands and thousands of students this gentleman, is sponsoring for undergraduate and post graduate studies across Nigerian universities and beyond, his clear understanding of approach and framework for national cohesion, peaceful entity and overall national development, opens more doors for him to be visible and relevant in the political development of West African states. Regional fruits.
Only daft and undeserving minds can begin to think that, DSP Barau has since left his lofty interventions in recent years. In less than ten days, his presence was in Bayero University, Kano, when one thousand (1,000) undergraduate students from his constituency were celebrated for being selected under his scholarship scheme. As the total sum of Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N800,000) was spend on each student.
In less than a week, another round of one thousand undergraduate students from Kano North, were gathered at Yusuf Maitama Sule Federal University of Education, Kano, when the Senator assured them of his total and absolute support for their scholarship up to their graduation.
Similar events are coming up across all tertiary institutions in Kano, where young, promising and enterprising people coming from his constituency, would be addressed and provided with their scholarship interventions. Producing promising minds for national development. National fruits.
Those opening both sides of their mouth, blaming the Senator for being elusive and invisible towards the development of the state, recently, are either blind or lack proper sense to understand their utterances. Their reading between lines, is dwarfed by sentiment. It is also defeatist in nature, approach and expression.
In less than one week, he was in Kano and empowered ten thousand people across the state. As he spent over two hundred million Naira (N200m).
To cap it all, Distinguished Senator Barau, spent over Two Hundred Billion Naira (N200b) in his years as an examplary legislator from Kano North, on human development interventions. Across his constituency and the state in general. Local roots preparing for national fruition.
His firm belief in welfare state philosophy, informs his effort towards electrifying rural communities in his primary constituency. Hence his support for lighting up his people has been unwavering and genuine. No two ways about it.
Some of the milestones proving the confidence repose in the Senator by his Distinguished colleagues in the Senate, was the Committees he led. He was Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation ; the similar Committee he chaired in the House of Representatives, during the late Speaker Ghali Umar Na’Abba, of blessed memory. He was also Chairman Senate Committee on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
National fruition at its best. Now he is the Deputy Senate President. He was assessed severally by observers from many professional angles and other respected association. For example, he was carefully and genuinely selected to get an award from the Senate Press Corps, tagged ‘2024 Highest Development – Driven Bills Award.’ A rare gem, reserved gentleman, peace loving legislator and focused political leader.
Few inches back before he became Deputy Senate President, he refused to be disillusioned due to all manner of humiliation he was subjected to. A political leader who clearly understands what harmless engagement brings to table.
Yes he started locally from his constituency, but his actions, efforts, visibility, contributions, know – how, impeccable character, noise-less engagements, proper public relations with colleagues and clear focus in official responsibilities, place him above many pretenders.
Part of the national fruits, different Committees he chaired in the Senate and the current position of Deputy Senate President, place him above local champions. Left to me, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should fix him for national assignment, come 2027. Elected position at best!
In the configuration of political power, Kano is his local constituency, as his name rings bell in the national scheme of things. His legislative intervention cuts across many states of the federation. Let my reader go and search the number of Bills he initiated and toiled to see their passage and get Presidential assent across states. National fruits.
At the regional level, I mean ECOWAS affairs, DSP gives his best to the continued survival of the regional body. From the administrative to resource – based intervention, Distinguished Senator becomes a strong bridge and pillar between Nigerian government and ECOWAS. His smooth facilitation of the ECOWAS protocols and Nigeria’s proper assistance places him high in the eyes of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
His unwavering faith in the development of Africa, presents him to be an expert in foreign policy. He looks like a career Diplomat. All I know is, it is his commitment in Pan Africanism that opens these chances for him. He has been a progressive element since from his university days. Who was shaped by one of the dogged and leading stars of progressive politics in Kano. The former Governor of the old Kano state, late Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi, of blessed memory.