“Only luck can take you above the situation we find ourselves in Nigeria…” _ Hon Farouk Adamu Aliyu

When are going to reach the promise land. What is the hope for the young Nigerian aspiring for a better life? Are we ever going to have Justice take the upper hand? When are as a country going to climb up the ladder of accountability to a hill top of a progressive society. Corruption!!! The most popular miscreant in our community. It is like no Police can put him behind bars. Our possible solution to the menace corruption_The Rule of Law_ has failed us. This days we can scarcely believe if there is any rule of law in Nigeria, if legal offenders and men who syphoned public funds continue to go live free without any punishment.
At the just concluded African Students for Liberty conference held at the University of Ibadan; Hon Farouk Adamu Aliyu [a former member of the National assembly and a former gubernatorial aspirant of Jigawa state at the last general election] was one of the speakers who spoke on the intriguing topic “THE RULE OF LAW”.
He being known for his ardent for being controversial didn’t fail to live up to this bill in his smile equivocal speech on the first day of the conference. He spoke expressly on the rule of law, its downside, on how it has failed in responsibility of checking and balancing the excess of our society. He didn’t failed to take enormous jibes at Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Speaking with students who quizzed him on various matters pertaining to the society at large he was able to do justice to begging question bordering the mind of Nigerian youths.
Here’s is a summary of the ad hoc press conference:

Student: Sir, in the creation of local government in a state, by the Nigerian constitution for a state to go ahead to create additional local government it has to be done agreement with the National assembly, whereby at least two third of the both arms of the National assembly vote in support of such decision. But Lagos for example which you made a case for in you speech didn’t go through the due process for creation of new local government. They only stop at the State assembly. So aren’t the Federal government justified for their decision of cease the state allocation funds meant for Lagos state during the Tinubu era. The Law is explicit enough

Hon Aliyu: I am not trying to stand for Tinubu or saying what he did was right. In fact it’s not only Lagos such has happened or may be it is only the one Lagos you know. I heard recently that it happened in Ekiti State, and it been done in some other parts of the country. It is because there is a lacuna in the constitution, there is nothing explicit about the constitution. You know it is this same constitution that gives Gonernors of state so much power to do what they like in their state. It it akin to the case in  Lacuna where the president of the country, Dr Goodluck Jonathan is asked not to contest on the next election because you can only be sworn twice and no more. But He (the president) claims that the first was under another man’s mandate. However, there are subsistent issues the likes of Bonny Haruna with the PDP, Ameachi… This are matters still evolving. So until they are tested(The rule of Law) before we can know. I am sure, like the case of President Jonathan will be tested. So if comes out to contest, we take the matter to court.

Student: The Vice Chancellor of my University was allege to have attributed the decision to increase the tuition fee of the university by 150% to the president of the nation or by and by the presidency. Can you please shed more light on it.

Hon Aliyu:          It can’t be the president. May be the ministry of education.

Student: But he should be aware of it, and he has failed to make any statement to that effect. And the Institution has being closed down for long time now.

Hon Aliyu:          Honestly, their main reason for all this is a propaganda is that they want oyu out of school.

Student: Then what is the solution.

Hon Aliyu:          Then walk them out.

Student: Sir, I think your generation has done things that has had ripple effect on the lives of young folks in Nigeria negatively.
Hon Aliyu:     That true!

Student: What is the way forward.

Hon Aliyu: Only luck can take you above the situation we’ve found ourselves. You know when I was coming to this venue, I came across a school, I guess by the name ‘Abadina Grammar School’. The roofing sheets I am sure are as old as this University. If a school could still use those kind of structures and no one can think of renovating it. Then we are in trouble.

Student: Sir, You saying only luck… It means that for to be successful in Nigeria is under a probability.

Hon Aliyu: Of course it is! But that is the truth.  How graduate are gainfully employed. Some graduate of this institution who graduated 5-10 years ago are still unemployed. So you think you will graduate today and get a job without luck.

Student: Suppose you were still in the National Assembly. What would you do to the issue of Boko Haram insurgence that is currently ransacking the country? What will you do to the matter of the bring back our girls campaign?

Hon Aliyu:  (sighs) to be fair with the government in terms of bringing back the abducted girls. You can either do it by force… and we are dealing with lawless mad people who don’t care about dying. Death is nothing to them. So if you go with full force, you will be endangering the lives if the girls. The government claim they know where the girls are, but can’t go because of the situation. So they are trying to device means to get them out. Where the fault is, how could any sane country allow over 300 people be kidnapped at once.

Student: Sir, you said the government claim they know the whereabout of those girls. For instance, the daughter of a governor was among this abducted girls, what would they have done.

Hon Aliyu: They would have put more effort to the matter than they have done so far. The elite have taken over the country…

Student: sir, would you be contesting in 2015.
Hon Aliyu: I am not sure. My call is how to ensure Buhari becomes President in 2015.

Student: If Gen Buhari eventually becomes President by winning the 2015 election, and the issue of Boko Haram persist. What will you do?
Hon Aliyu: first, if someone like Buhari becomes president. A lot of this people(Boko Haram Sect) will run away.
Student: It’s been rumoured that if Gen Buhari becomes President, the issue of Sharia will pop up. Is this true

 Hon Aliyu: This country is govern by constitution. Nobody can bring any… this is rubbish. Nobody can bring Sharia anywhere. Nobody can impose Sharia on any non-Muslims. Of course in state like Kano and Zamfara can do that but they have provision for their non-Muslims as well.
Buhari can never, nobody can. Just like Jonathan, he can’t generalise Christianity because the constitution doesn’t permit him.

Student: What is the role of godfatherism in the rule of law?

Hon Aliyu: There is no rule of law that backs godfatherism. We must know that there isn’t any difference is in the individual. Our country is not govern by political parties’ ideologies. The Governor of Lagos, Raji Fashola isn’t working in APC’S ideology. So it is whatever the person wants he does.

Student: For me as students who aspire to be a politician and change his society positively. How do I realise this dream owing to the fact that lives of politicians are in danger in our country.

Hon Aliyu: I for instance. I have put my life on the line. I don’t care for example if I am killed on way to Lagos. Because in any case you are still going to die anyway. It better you die on the right path than to die a coward. You have to decide if probably you are willing to get killed.

Student: Lastly, one other problem is that our vote doesn’t count.

Hon Aliyu: Then make it count this time around