Farouk ‘Mr. Integrity'

Since the scandal that rocked the National Assembly in 2001 that almost led to the impeachment of the then speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’Abba, Farouk Lawan has remained one lawmaker Nigerians have come to love. Lawan, then chairman of the House committee on media and publicity was the focal voice that shot down what was then believed was an orchestrated plan by the executive to effect change in the leadership of the House. That he was re-elected in 2003 showed not only the love his people have for him but was believed to be his political shrewdness. Na’Abba was unable to return, a victim of high wire politics.
In the new political dispensation, Farouk Lawan emerged chairman of the committee on appropriation, a very sensitive committee. This also was to further confirm the level of confidence his colleagues had in him. Despite his size, the Kano born teacher, who later abandoned the classroom for the lucre of politics has a very great influence on his colleagues. He moved the motion that led to the election of the first female speaker of the nation’s House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh, in 2007. He later fell out with Mrs. Etteh because, contrary to his demand to be allowed to retain the appropriation committee, Etteh gave him chairmanship of the education committee. That was why he spearheaded the ‘Integrity Group’ of the House to remove Etteh as speaker barely six month in office.
The recent scandal rocking the House of Representatives with Farouk Lawan at the centre was a big surprise to many Nigerians. The lawmaker who first raised alarm of an attempt by oil marketers to influence the report of the House ad hoc committee monitoring fuel subsidy regime sang different tones when chairman of Zenon Oil, Femi Otedola alleged that he collected $620,000 bribe from him. The story dominated the news last week, and we feel it will be good to take another look at the man, Farouk Lawan. Assistant Editor,