I Won’t Let Senate, Nigerians Down – Barau

Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, has pledged not to disappoint the Senate, the National Assembly or Nigerians following his recognition as the Most Outstanding Deputy Senate President since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

Barau gave the assurance yesterday when he received an award presented by the Senate Press Corps (SPC), the umbrella body of journalists and media representatives covering the Senate at the National Assembly in Abuja.

He described the recognition as an acknowledgement of his contributions to legislative development and a motivation to intensify his efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and advance national development.

“This honour is not only an acknowledgement of the work we have done but also a motivation to do even more. As the popular saying goes, to whom much is given, much is expected.

“I assure you that I will not let you down. I will not let the Senate down; I will not let the National Assembly down, and I will not let the entire legislature or our country down.

“I remain committed to strengthening our democratic institutions, advancing people-oriented legislation and delivering purposeful representation to my constituents in Kano North Senatorial District,” he said.

Presenting the award, Chairman of the Senate Press Corps, Comrade Taye Odewale, said the association’s assessment identified Barau as the most outstanding occupant of the office since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

Odewale, who has covered the Senate for 22 years, said the assessment considered Barau’s contributions to legislative development, quality lawmaking, presiding capabilities, participation in debates, oversight functions, responsive representation, accessibility and commitment to humanity.

He particularly highlighted the Deputy Senate President’s legislative record, disclosing that Barau had sponsored 48 bills within 40 months of the 10th National Assembly, five of which had been passed into law.

According to him, the achievement was significant given the administrative and leadership responsibilities attached to the office of the Deputy President of the Senate.

The SPC chairman also noted that Barau serves as the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, describing his regional parliamentary engagement as another important aspect of his legislative profile.

Among the landmark bills highlighted by the association were the North-West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2023; National Identity Management Commission (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, 2024; Agricultural Research Council Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024; Federal Medical Centre, Gwarzo, Kano State (Establishment) Bill, 2024; and Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo (Establishment) Bill, 2025.

The association also acknowledged Barau’s commitment to responsive representation and public service delivery through constituency projects and empowerment programmes benefiting various categories of people across Kano North, Kano State, the North-West geopolitical zone and Nigeria at large.