POLITICS TODAY

By Aminu Mohammed
The pride and joy of all parents is to have offsprings that would reciprocate the gesture shown and given to their kids while growing up.
The school is not an exception. About 36 years ago, Comrade Alhassan Ado Doguwa was among the numerous secondary school leavers who were given the nod to take part in the rigorous School of General Studies ( SGS) programme as a prelude to qualify him to read whatever course he desired at the Bayero University, Kano. A year later, he found himself at the Department of Mass Communications in the same university.. As a “Direct Jambite” I joined Doguwa and over 40 ambitious communicators for a three- year drill in communication skills and journalism. While Doguwa majored in broadcast journalism, I opted for the print aspect of the profession. However, way bàck in 1990 before our graduation, there were ” 3 musketeers” in that class of ’90 who told anyone who cared to listen that their destinies lie in the military and politics respectively. They always tell those closed to them what they intended pursuing in life as their respective careers. Doguwa, who was the lead vocalist of the “3 musketeers” chose politics as his major preoccupation and like a child who already knew his destiny, today our erstwhile “comrade” is not only the longest serving member at the House of Representatives but also the House Leader of the Lower Chamber. The other two members of the group, Samaila Uba and Ado Sabo Rano both wanted to be military officers. Today, like Doguwa, destiny has played it’s part because Uba is now a Brigadier General heading the 401 Special Forces Brigade based in Makurdi but currently on another special military assignment in Borno State while the quiet member of the group Rano is a Comptroller of Immigration at the headquarters in Abuja. Although, Rano did not become a military officer but a para military officer destiny never fails. In those campus days, I kept reminding the two with military ambition that, I would be the politician who would retire them and they also made promises to serve my administration professionally with hundred percent LOYALTY so that I would have no cause to retire them. Today, I have grown to despise politics and rather than being in politics, I have chosen journalism as a career but proud to commend my military and para military friends for their loyalty to the country. It gives me much more pleasure to write on the achievements of a fine officer and a gentleman as well as a vocal politician both of them have sacrificed so much in the last 30 years on good governance.
To understand the political sagacity and philosophy of Hon. Doguwa, a brief recollection of his political activism on campus way back in the 90s would give one a clearer picture of this vocal and political mathematician. Comrade Alhassan Ado Doguwa’s political slogan on campus was (“rudu”) that is a noise maker, extrovert, confusionist and a crowd puller, Jack of all trades and master of many. His rudu was with intent to rock the boat and bring positive change to the status quo. He was a crowd puller, a man of the people He was someone who always wanted to dominate, control and be at the center of political and socio- economic contemporary issues. He took part in active campus politics which shaped and gave him the confidence to venture in national politics immediately after our National Youths Service Corps assignment in 1991. He took part in the aborted 1993 democratic process and has remained in politics ever since then.
Comrade Alhassan Ado Doguwa was in 1990 the President of the Mass Communication Students Association ( MACOSA) at the Bayero University, Kano and as he journeys and ride through political stardom, day by day, year by year and election by election, destiny has already opened so many doors of successes politically for him and therefore, all he needs to do is knock at the door, it shall be opened, ask for votes, it shall be given and anytime he seeks, it shall be found.
Thirty- two years after graduation with Bsc in Mass Communications from the Bayero University, Kano, Doguwa went back to the institution that served as a ladder for his political relevance and decided to go with the saying that “to whom much is given, surely, much is expected”. It was a gathering of all the alumni of the Communications. department from inception in 1978 to 2021. It was a gathering for the department to review its successes and setbacks and mapping out the way forward for a much more and purposeful orientation of those pursuing the journalism profession and other communication skills
It was also a meeting to see and know who and who passed through the department in the last 40 years. In fact, I never for once thought that His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero passed through the same department I did since 1984 until we met at the 40th Anniversary venue. His Royal Highness gave all those who graced the evening programe on Friday Feb. 11 a delicious ” Royal Dinner” and it was during the dinning and wining time I learnt that His Royal Highness was a student of Mass Communications and that he graduated in 1984. At least, from now on anytime I am in Kano I would be given a Royal Protection. ( Allah yaja zamanin Sarki, muna godiya.) The main event which marked the climax on Saturday, Feb 12 was essentially for Class’90 for we had the privilege of presenting to the department a veteran, a model and a vocal politician who has contributed a lot nationally and a serving General in the Nigerian Army who has given this country so much to be proud of him.
All in all, it was a reunion which Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa as an obedient and successful child made his parents very proud of him for he was conscious of the Hausa proverb which says, ( kowa yabar gida gida yabarshi) whoever forgets his root, surely the root will forget him too. Hon. Doguwa did not forget his roots for he gave back to both the Mass Communications Department and the new Faculty of Communications N5m each as his widow’s might. Apart from the N10m donation which he gave on the same day at the Emir’s palace, he donated N1m to the Class’90 ( his set) and N200k for one of us who is recovering from a partial paralysis. It was a day he cast his mind back to the late 80s and early 90s when he was an ordinary “Aluta Student” not sure when and where the next meal would come from and an era when he was not certain what his destiny would be. As Nigeria prepares for yet another election year, what role befits this national figure whose contributions on the floor of the House are immense? For being the oldest serving member, there is room for Doguwa to aspire for a higher office either at the National Assembly or back home in Kano.
The coming days and months are crucial to every serious minded ambitious politician and Hon. Doguwa should aspire higher. In 2023 there would be a vacancy at the Kano State Government Lodge. In 2023 the political equation would change and if power shifts to the south, the north would have important positions to occupy at the National Assembly. The House Speakership and Senate Presidential seat would be for the north and this is where Hon. Doguwa should aspire to be.
In politics, nothing is impossible and the Comrade I knew way back in school dares where others chicken out. Ride on Hon. Doguwa as old soldier never dies, the sky is the limit and the Mass Communications community is proud of you while the entire Bayero University is wishing you more successes ahead. You and the Brigadier General are shining stars just like others so numerous to mention here.