*Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim, most selfless politician in Nigeria*

By Abdulrazaq Hamzat

Politics is a dirty game, so they often say, until you meet a decent politician, who will not allow the dirty parts of politics stain his clean garment.

Truthfully speaking, politics is indeed a game. However, unlike many observers of the political scene, I have the opinion that the game of politics can only be dirty, if played dirty by dirty people, it can also be clean and decent, if played clean by decent people, and one of the politicians, that can aptly or unarguably be described as decent and selfless politician in Nigeria, it is Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim.

Hon Ilyasu started as a business man, whose quest for charity turned him to a philanthropist, then he was dragged into politics by the people of his local government, Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria.

Since joining politics, particularly after Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999, Hon. Ilyasu’s personality have been shaped by a number of events he championed in the quest for Kwara political liberation.

In 1999, at a time when not many could be in the opposition to the ruling dynasty in Kwara State, the vibrant Ilyasu became the first person in Moro local government to accept the opposition role and led it courageously with inspiration, and principle. For Ilyasu Ibrahim, the seed of what would eventually transformed into otoge revolution in 2019 was sowed in 1999.

Although, several incidences within the opposition party in Kwara State, especially after the Kwara strong man, Dr. Olusola Saraki joined the party pitched the courageous Ilyasu against many of his former associates.

Notwithstanding, his alliance with the new entrant into the opposition party, Dr Olusola Saraki did not make him lose his integrity and decency, neither did he lose the courage to stand for what is fair and just, nor lose his principle that political position should be used to serve the interest of common man.

In 2012, I came to know Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim as a result of his battle with the then Kwara State House of Assembly under the leadership of Hon. Razaq Atunwa.

As a member and Chief Whip of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Ilyasu uncovered some corrupt activities by the then speaker, Hon Razaq Atunwa and decided to act against it.

The elderly Ilyasu, who always leaves his door wide open to all was the only courageous member of the house of assembly that could stand up to the speaker to challenge him on his corrupt activities.

At the time, Ilyasu did not only wrote a petition to the speaker and circulated it to all members, he actually pushed for the matter to be properly discussed at the plenary of the house of assembly.

This move, seen by the speaker as a major threat to collective and personal security of the then ruling government shock the 7th assembly and through approval of the then leader of the ruling government, Dr Bukola Saraki, Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim was suspended for 5 months for attempting to expose corruption in the house.

It is important to note that, those who illegally suspended Ilyasu thought that he would come begging to be forgiven, but unknown to them, he is a man who only listen to the music of his own soul.

Like a courageous man that he is, he challenged his suspension in court and fought to the Supreme Court.

Although, he resumes to the house after the expiration of his 5 months’ suspension, but he was never accepted back into the house, neither was his statutory salaries paid. He was later suspended permanently and the 23 months’ salaries being owed to Ilyasu Ibrahim is still yet to be paid.

Some people might want to ask, what happened to the court case he filed? To say it plainly, he won the cases. Not only at the high court and appeal court, but also at the Supreme Court.

However, the judgement was not implemented. This was a directive from the oga at the top.

Even the Hon Ali Ahmad led house, which came after the Atunwa administration did not honour the court judgement. So, when you hear me describe the former Kwara State House of Assembly as being irresponsible and discredited, you know where we are coming from.

Before his travail in the house of assembly, Ilyasu Ibrahim practically became a government of his own. Due to failure of government under Bukola Saraki and Abdulfatah Ahmed, especially in education sector, where schools were left with no teachers, Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim single handedly employed several teachers across different schools in Moro Local Government and paid them monthly from his private purse.

He told me in 2012, when I met him during the heat of the matter that, children that would no longer have teachers or teachers he can no longer pay their salaries across the various schools are the people he is really feeling for, while battling with his oppressors.

One other incident that cemented Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim’s position as one of the most selfless politicians in Nigeria happened during the 6th assembly, when all members of the assembly were given job slots at the Kwara State Civil Service.

While other members simply handed over the slot to one of their children or family members, Ilyasu Ibrahim did something different.

He sent message to his constituent in Moro Local Government to inform them of the job opportunity presented to him at the assembly and asked the people to identify someone with the specific qualification and his or her details to claim the slot.

After 2 weeks of searching and because of the peculiarity of the qualification requested, they couldn’t find anyone with the requirement. So they returned to Ilyasu with the bad news of no candidate that fits the requirements.

It was at this point that Hon. Ilyasu pleaded with them that if they do not mind, his own child at home is without job and that he meets the criteria. He pleaded that they should allow him send his child’s name, so that the slot will not be wasted.

Those who went to him looked at each other with amazement and soon after, one of them said, so you have a child that meets the requirement and you decided to send us around searching? The other also added that, you are the one who brought the opportunity and you don’t need to seek our permission to submit your son's name.

However, Ilyasu Ibrahim countered that, I do not own the slot, it was given to Moro Local Government representative. Even though I am your representative, I do not own what belongs to the community, it has to be jointly decided. The only thing I am entitled to is my salary, any other thing must be presented for your consideration.

The people gave him the go ahead to present his son and he thanked them greatly, adding that should they eventually find anyone who has the qualification, he would not hesitate to step down his son’s name.

After all names had been submitted, the screening date was fixed. However, a day to the screening date, a young man walked into the home of Hon Ilyasu and pleaded with him to help him find a job. The young man told Ilyasu that he had finished school for more than 5 years without any job and all his family members are looking up to him.

When Hon Ilyasu asked him what he studied in school, it was the same requirement needed for the job slot he had given to his son, whose screening they are doing tomorrow. Ilyasu then told the man to go back home and come the next morning, so they could go out together. He gave him transportation money to make his movement easy.

The next morning, the young man arrived very early. Hon. Ilyasu took him in his vehicle straight to the office of the head of civil service commission. He told the civil service boss that the name he submitted before was just a tentative name, to reserve the slot for the person who will take it. The real owner has now come and he wanted him to replace his son’s name with that of this young man.

The civil service boss was shock. How can you be replacing your son’s name with a total stranger? He said, but Ilyasu insisted that the name be replaced.

In his magnamity, the civil service boss promised to get another slot for the young man after the exercise, but Ilyasu refused the offer. He said to him, give this young man this slot, then you can find another slot for my son. That’s how a total stranger was replaced with Hon. Ilyasu’s son.

Unknown to Hon. Ilyasu, his son is not really interested in the job. He had decided to travel to Portharcourt, where he could access better opportunity, especially with multi-national companies.
Hon. Ilyasu's son left Ilorin same day and immediately after getting to port Harcourt, even before getting to his destination, he saw a job advert and decided to branch into the company to apply in person, after all he had all his credentials with him. To cut the long story short, he was employed right there and then, with full benefits including housing.

When I asked Hon Ilyasu about this story, he confirmed it to me and said, God only pays good with good.

Today, Hon Ilyasu's son, Rotimi Ilyasu is one of the commissioners recently approved by the Kwara State House of Assembly.

Let me conclude by saying that, you may disagree with Hon. Ilyasu politically, but most certainly, you cannot impugn his character.

*Abdulrazaq Hamzat is the Convener of Kwara Must Change*

PIX: Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim with the president of Ghana

.Lol. his pipul dragged him to enter politics. 9ja politicians and their slangs.my pipul called me.mtcheew.
as 4 d most selfles 9ja politicians they are 12 in number



the last one died on august 8 1992

Ok Nigerians Learn a new word

Hagiography; A biography which is uncritically supportive of its subject, often including embellishments [/b]or [b]propaganda.

Another word

Stooge; One who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit; a dupe. or in Nigerian Parlance, a Mumu.

Simple Example

Hamzat who wrote this Hagiograph of Ibrahim is a paid STOOGE.

Rule 8. Please dont Post false Information on Nairaland.

JonDon12:
Ok Nigerians Learn a new word

Hagiography; A biography which is uncritically supportive of its subject, often including embellishments [/b]or [b]propaganda.

Another word

Stooge; One who knowingly allows himself or herself to be used for another's profit; a dupe. or in Nigerian Parlance, a Mumu.

Simple Example

Hamzat who wrote this Hagiograph of Ibrahim is a paid STOOGE.

Rule 8. Please dont Post false Information on Nairaland.

You just violated rule 8 by calling a post false, when the reverse is the case

Idiotic praise singer .

so why are you telling us

bilms:
*Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim, most selfless politician in Nigeria*

By Abdulrazaq Hamzat

Politics is a dirty game, so they often say, until you meet a decent politician, who will not allow the dirty parts of politics stain his clean garment.

Truthfully speaking, politics is indeed a game. However, unlike many observers of the political scene, I have the opinion that the game of politics can only be dirty, if played dirty by dirty people, it can also be clean and decent, if played clean by decent people, and one of the politicians, that can aptly or unarguably be described as decent and selfless politician in Nigeria, it is Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim.

Hon Ilyasu started as a business man, whose quest for charity turned him to a philanthropist, then he was dragged into politics by the people of his local government, Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria.

Since joining politics, particularly after Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999, Hon. Ilyasu’s personality have been shaped by a number of events he championed in the quest for Kwara political liberation.

In 1999, at a time when not many could be in the opposition to the ruling dynasty in Kwara State, the vibrant Ilyasu became the first person in Moro local government to accept the opposition role and led it courageously with inspiration, and principle. For Ilyasu Ibrahim, the seed of what would eventually transformed into otoge revolution in 2019 was sowed in 1999.

Although, several incidences within the opposition party in Kwara State, especially after the Kwara strong man, Dr. Olusola Saraki joined the party pitched the courageous Ilyasu against many of his former associates.

Notwithstanding, his alliance with the new entrant into the opposition party, Dr Olusola Saraki did not make him lose his integrity and decency, neither did he lose the courage to stand for what is fair and just, nor lose his principle that political position should be used to serve the interest of common man.

In 2012, I came to know Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim as a result of his battle with the then Kwara State House of Assembly under the leadership of Hon. Razaq Atunwa.

As a member and Chief Whip of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Ilyasu uncovered some corrupt activities by the then speaker, Hon Razaq Atunwa and decided to act against it.

The elderly Ilyasu, who always leaves his door wide open to all was the only courageous member of the house of assembly that could stand up to the speaker to challenge him on his corrupt activities.

At the time, Ilyasu did not only wrote a petition to the speaker and circulated it to all members, he actually pushed for the matter to be properly discussed at the plenary of the house of assembly.

This move, seen by the speaker as a major threat to collective and personal security of the then ruling government shock the 7th assembly and through approval of the then leader of the ruling government, Dr Bukola Saraki, Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim was suspended for 5 months for attempting to expose corruption in the house.

It is important to note that, those who illegally suspended Ilyasu thought that he would come begging to be forgiven, but unknown to them, he is a man who only listen to the music of his own soul.

Like a courageous man that he is, he challenged his suspension in court and fought to the Supreme Court.

Although, he resumes to the house after the expiration of his 5 months’ suspension, but he was never accepted back into the house, neither was his statutory salaries paid. He was later suspended permanently and the 23 months’ salaries being owed to Ilyasu Ibrahim is still yet to be paid.

Some people might want to ask, what happened to the court case he filed? To say it plainly, he won the cases. Not only at the high court and appeal court, but also at the Supreme Court.

However, the judgement was not implemented. This was a directive from the oga at the top.

Even the Hon Ali Ahmad led house, which came after the Atunwa administration did not honour the court judgement. So, when you hear me describe the former Kwara State House of Assembly as being irresponsible and discredited, you know where we are coming from.

Before his travail in the house of assembly, Ilyasu Ibrahim practically became a government of his own. Due to failure of government under Bukola Saraki and Abdulfatah Ahmed, especially in education sector, where schools were left with no teachers, Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim single handedly employed several teachers across different schools in Moro Local Government and paid them monthly from his private purse.

He told me in 2012, when I met him during the heat of the matter that, children that would no longer have teachers or teachers he can no longer pay their salaries across the various schools are the people he is really feeling for, while battling with his oppressors.

One other incident that cemented Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim’s position as one of the most selfless politicians in Nigeria happened during the 6th assembly, when all members of the assembly were given job slots at the Kwara State Civil Service.

While other members simply handed over the slot to one of their children or family members, Ilyasu Ibrahim did something different.

He sent message to his constituent in Moro Local Government to inform them of the job opportunity presented to him at the assembly and asked the people to identify someone with the specific qualification and his or her details to claim the slot.

After 2 weeks of searching and because of the peculiarity of the qualification requested, they couldn’t find anyone with the requirement. So they returned to Ilyasu with the bad news of no candidate that fits the requirements.

It was at this point that Hon. Ilyasu pleaded with them that if they do not mind, his own child at home is without job and that he meets the criteria. He pleaded that they should allow him send his child’s name, so that the slot will not be wasted.

Those who went to him looked at each other with amazement and soon after, one of them said, so you have a child that meets the requirement and you decided to send us around searching? The other also added that, you are the one who brought the opportunity and you don’t need to seek our permission to submit your son's name.

However, Ilyasu Ibrahim countered that, I do not own the slot, it was given to Moro Local Government representative. Even though I am your representative, I do not own what belongs to the community, it has to be jointly decided. The only thing I am entitled to is my salary, any other thing must be presented for your consideration.

The people gave him the go ahead to present his son and he thanked them greatly, adding that should they eventually find anyone who has the qualification, he would not hesitate to step down his son’s name.

After all names had been submitted, the screening date was fixed. However, a day to the screening date, a young man walked into the home of Hon Ilyasu and pleaded with him to help him find a job. The young man told Ilyasu that he had finished school for more than 5 years without any job and all his family members are looking up to him.

When Hon Ilyasu asked him what he studied in school, it was the same requirement needed for the job slot he had given to his son, whose screening they are doing tomorrow. then told the man to go back home and come the next morning, so they could go out together. He gave him transportation money to make his movement easy.

The next morning, the young man arrived very early. Hon. Ilyasu took him in his vehicle straight to the office of the head of civil service commission. He told the civil service boss that the name he submitted before was just a tentative name, to reserve the slot for the person who will take it. The real owner has now come and he wanted him to replace his son’s name with that of this young man.

The civil service boss was shock. How can you be replacing your son’s name with a total stranger? He said, but Ilyasu insisted that the name be replaced.

In his magnamity, the civil service boss promised to get another slot for the young man after the exercise, but Ilyasu refused the offer. He said to him, give this young man this slot, then you can find another slot for my son. That’s how a total stranger was replaced with Hon. Ilyasu’s son.

Unknown to Hon. Ilyasu, his son is not really interested in the job. He had decided to travel to Portharcourt, where he could access better opportunity, especially with multi-national companies.
Hon. Ilyasu's son left Ilorin same day and immediately after getting to port Harcourt, even before getting to his destination, he saw a job advert and decided to branch into the company to apply in person, after all he had all his credentials with him. To cut the long story short, he was employed right there and then, with full benefits including housing.

When I asked Hon Ilyasu about this story, he confirmed it to me and said, God only pays good with good.

Today, Hon Ilyasu's son, Rotimi Ilyasu is one of the commissioners recently approved by the Kwara State House of Assembly.

Let me conclude by saying that, you may disagree with Hon. Ilyasu politically, but most certainly, you cannot impugn his character.

*Abdulrazaq Hamzat is the Convener of Kwara Must Change*

PIX: Hon. Ilyasu Ibrahim with the president of Ghana

Hon.Ilyasu Ibrahim is brave and a courageous man

True