From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, representing Kano North Senatorial District, on Wednesday received the award of the Most Outstanding Deputy Senate President since 1999 from the Senate Press Corps.
The award, presented at the Senate Wing of the National Assembly, was in recognition of his legislative performance, rated as the best in terms of bills sponsorship, quality debates and focus on developmental issues.
Presenting the award, the Chairman of the Senate Press Corps, Mr. Taye Odewale, said Senator Barau has been in the legislative business at the National Assembly since 1999 and has performed creditably.
Odewale said an assessment of the Deputy Senate President through the journalistic lens showed him as the most outstanding performer to occupy the office since 1999.
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He said within the last 40 months, from June 2023 to November 2026, out of the 48-month legislative term, Barau was assessed on thematic areas including legislation and development-driven lawmaking, presiding capability, quality of contributions to debates, oversight functions, responsive representation, accessibility and positive disposition to humanity, as evident in the daily influx of people to his offices and residences in Abuja and Kano.
According to him, administrative exigencies of the office did not stop Barau from sponsoring bills. Out of 48 bills sponsored, five have already been passed into law. They include the North-West Development Commission Bill 2023, National Identity Management Commission (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2024, Federal Medical Centre, Kwarzo, Kano State Bill 2024, Agricultural Research Council Act (Amendment) Bill and Federal University of Science and Technology, Kabo, Kano (Establishment) Bill 2025.
Odewale noted that the 48 bills sponsored is the highest so far by any of the 109 serving senators and the highest ever sponsored by any of his predecessors within a similar 40-month timeframe since 1999.
He added that in December 2024, Senator Barau was honoured with an award for sponsoring the highest number of development-driven bills, while his performance in presiding over plenary in the absence of the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has been commendable.
He also said Barau’s responsive representation cuts across Kano North, his immediate constituency, to the North-West geopolitical zone and Nigeria as a whole.
Receiving the award, Senator Barau thanked the Senate Press Corps for its eagle eye in monitoring legislative activities, saying the recognition would spur him to do more.
“I just want to thank the Senate Press Corps for identifying and recognizing my modest contributions to the agenda of the legislature, particularly in my capacity as Deputy Senate President,” he said.
“I am really grateful. I appreciate this gesture, which will propel me. It is a kind of propeller. Having been recognized and identified, to whom much is given, much is expected.
“Having bestowed this honour on me, what you are telling me directly is that I am doing well, so I should do more. I want to promise you that I will not let you down, I will not let the people of Kano down, I will not let the National Assembly down, and I will not let the entire country down. I will do more and more for the development of this legislature and indeed for the advancement of the entire country,” Barau stated.
