History is replete with great many people that rose to power and fell and only a few after falling, had risen once again. I think Honorable Farouk Lawan should rise once again too.

The academician turned politician, from a humble classroom teacher became one of the most admired legislators Nigeria had ever seen before a unified conspiratorial move sent him not only out of the red chambers and political limelight but into years of sojourn at prison.

The four-time member (1999-2015) hails from Kano, representing Bagwai-Shanono Federal constituency, who became a sort of King-maker in the house of representative as he was instrumental in making Ibrahim Salisu Buhari, Ghali Umar Na’abba, Aminu Bello Masari and Dimeji Bankole Speakers of the House of Representative.

During his heydays in the Federal House of Representative, Farouk charisma, eloquence and fearlessness about fighting corruption earned him the position of the leader of the house integrity group, the most powerful voice at one time in the country checkmating the excesses of the executive.

The seed of his travails were sown when he emerged the leader of the Integrity group to checkmate the imposition of Patricia Etta by some powerful southwest politicians.

The group, after a long bitter fight, successfully dislodged Patricia Ette and replaced her with Dimeji Bankole. Farouk Lawan’s rising profile not only in Nigeria’s political space but even at the International level made him a sore to the eyes of some powerful people who were afraid of his anti-corruption stance and power in the house.

I can remember one day at the national assembly after a plenary and members were coming out of the chamber, Farouk Lawan’s entourage and crowd dwarfed that of the speaker. Since then, I believed he became a marked man.

The chance to bring him down came during the Jonathan years and the fuel subsidy protests. He was assigned to chair the petroleum subsidy scams.

Several oil companies and some powerful individuals were pointed out by the committee under Farouk Lawan and as corruption always fight back, a sting operation was meticulously organised and Farouk Lawan forgetting the dictum “When you are in a glass house, never throw stone at others” was nailed on video accepting a bribe to the tune of 600,000 USD. Though the investigation he started was carried on by the EFCC.

The EFCC eventually named the suspects to include 9 oil companies and 14 individuals.

The oil companies were:

Indicted Persons were;

The entire fuel subsidy scams during the Jonathan era was pegged at $6.8 billion dollars, but as corruption is superior in this country, the humongous sum was traded for a paltry and insignificant sum of $600,000 (mere 0.001) that Farouk took and he was sacrificed at the alter of corruption. With his indictment, the powers that be killed the probe and all the players heaved a sigh of relief and continued to enjoy their loot.

In both the eyes of God and Man, Farouk Lawan has paid for his crime and is now cleansed. Therefore for his knowledge and experience, penchant for anti-corruption and atonement in serving a prison term, we should make a Clarion call on the President to listen to our plea and pardon Farouk in order for him to have a clean slate and return to politics.

The vast experience Farouk has now gained and his flair in politics and governance, we in Kano, the North and the entire country could not afford to lose such an asset.

I am sure if he is back he would deliver more than he did in the past. I think we should all lend a hand in helping this remarkable fellow, rise from the grass to grace once again and hope we see the best in him after his harrowing experience in prison.