REBIRTH OF HOPE: A Tribute To Hon. Tijjani Muhammad Aliyu, House Leader Bauchi State House Of Assembly

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Mukhtar Muhammad Mk

When I was 100 Level student of law, I was taught that the constitutional duties of a state lawmaker as stated by M. Steven Fish and Matthew Kroenig who constructed a Parliamentary Powers Index in an attempt to quantify the different degrees of power among the arms of government as; making laws for the peace, order and good governance of the state, establishing committees of its members to scrutinize bills and the conduct of government institutions and officials, scrutinizing and confirming major appointments of the executive.

As a like-mind politician and social commentator, I feel a little bit irritated by losing hope in any legislature due to their limited power in policy making and bringing about the desired change in the society especially in developing countries like Nigeria.

However, the emergence of Honourable Tijjani Muhammad Aliyu, the member representing Azare-Madangala constituency in the Bauchi state House of Assembly compelled me to rethink about the politics and power especially around the legislatures.

The workaholic, able and noncontroversial middle-aged gentleman emerged the winner of April 11, 2015, election to represent Azare-Madangala constituency in the Bauchi state house of Assembly. A post perceived as less important by the constituents until when they found Tijjani Aliyu who has in-depth knowledge of the workings and operational philosophy, vision and mission of the legistator both in constitutional and layman’s  perspective.

On the assumption of duty as the member of the 18th Assembly, Tijjani Aliyu embarked on a new system of representation by responding to and articulating the view of both members and the voters. He always ensures that policies pursued by the government reflect the wishes of larger society. According to him, every society is composed of individuals and groups, not all of whom can participate directly in politics. He, therefore, provide these people, in varying combinations, an avenue to benefit directly or indirectly in government. This is because he believed that the  exercise of  political authority is  rooted in  the rule  of law and the  doctrine of  social contract  between the leaders and  the led.

I think his fellow members of the 8th Bauchi state house of Assembly  acknowledged his potentialities just in time and voted him the leader of the house after the removal of the erstwhile house leader on 4th November 2016. Which is very good because of Hon. Tijjani Muhammad Aliyu does not quarrel with anybody. He has never quarreled with any fellow legislator or executive. The APC members that have been quarreling, Leader never involved himself. The entire quarrel with senators and Reps, they never complained about a leader. All the social media commentators claiming incapacitation of legislators, they never mentioned leader. All the stories and conspiracies about cabals and factions in the Ramad House, they never mentioned him. In addition, the man gets very sharp intellect. He is a quick thinker, and he gets a very durable body.

In his two years in office, Tijjani was able to make water problem in his Azure-Madangala constituency a story of the past, by drilling and rehabilitating copious boreholes in schools and communities within the constituency. He was also able to secure the rehabilitation and dualization of some roads as his constituency projects which are being carried out by the Bauchi state government.

Tijani’s contributions in education, health, and rural electrification cannot be accounted in a single article. However, thousands of youth studies under his scholarship. Recently, the Honourable made a last minute decision to travel to the holy land to participate in the pilgrimage and at the same time to take good care of his constituents to ensure none suffered from strange international regulations guiding the successful conduct of Hajj in the holy land. Upon his return, he urgently intervened into the power problem in Matsango ward by personally visiting the community and cashing hundred of thousands Naira for the repair of the transformer that left the environs in darkness for over 40 days of leader’s absence.

This leader has transformed into the leader of all in Katagum and Bauchi in general. He has won the hearts of his constituents and some power brokers in the state, being the politician that understands the political thinking of Bauchians. If any political office is zoned to Katagum, no doubt Tijjani Muhammad Aliyu is the most suitable to take it over.

Mukhtar Muhammad Mk Write from Bauchi.

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