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GENERAL LAWAN JAFARU ISA: Best For Nigeria’s Defense Minister

By: Dr. Isa Muhammad Inuwa
BRIGADIER GENERAL LAWAN JAFARU ISA is popularly and commonly regarded as a
highly disciplined military officer, a past Military Governor of Kaduna state. Like a double-edged
sword, similarly, the persona is seen as a seasoned political giant. A one-time Kano state
Governorship candidate under the defunct political party of CPC, in 2011.
$2.1bn Arms Probe: Buhari won't interfere in Jafaru's case — Presidency
HIS BRIEF BIODATA
Born in the 1950s at Yakasai Quarters ofthe ancient city of Kano, General Lawal grew up in the
normal ways of life of the Kano people, starting his education from the Quranic and Islamiyya
schools before proceeding to the formal elementary (primary) school and later to the Government
Secondary School Birnin Kudu, in the old Kano state. As from the scratch, the young Lawan
Jafaru, admirably grew up a disciplined, respectful, shy and responsible gentleman.
LAWAN,THE GALLANT MILITARY TOP BRASS
He later enrolled into the Nigerian Army, at the Nigerian Defense Academy, NDA, whereby he
judiciously rose through the ranks through dedication, discipline and qualification, rather than
through mediocracy, nepotism and favouritism. General Lawan took his steps from bottom to top
by undergoing series of military trainings and courses both within Nigeria and more so in various
countries abroad, whereby he garnered his highest military intelligence and expertise.
Among others, Lawal attended various courses at India, United Kingdom, France and America, at
which he was opportune to have some competence in Indian and French languages, apart from his
proficiency in his mother tongue, Hausa and English as second language. Serving his mother land
with zeal and vigour, he kept on rising through the cadre from one responsibility and assignment
to the other, until when he was crowned as the military administrator of Kaduna state.That was
where General Lawan demonstrated with leadership and administrative competence through
dedication, justice and innovations of viable developmental and viable projects for the people.In
fact hecould be rated as one of the Kaduna Governors that contributed in itsdevelopmentto its
present status.
HIS POLITICAL SOURJOURN
Although never hisstarting point nor hisfirst launchpad of political experience, Lawan’s
candidature and campaigns for governorship under the CPC was the most outstanding and the most
memorable, that further portrayed him into the mainstreamsocial and public limelight in the
Nigerian political terrain.Indeed, General Lawal’s profile and track-record of achievements in
developing Kaduna state through viable andhuman oriented projects have tremendously helped in
promoting his image and his acceptance in the Kano state governorship race.It only through the
providence, largely due to the prolonged internal controversies and wrangling that the CPC lost
the grip ofthe Kano state governor’s seat in the race.
HIS SUPPORT AND SUCESSES INOTHER GOVERNORSHIP& PRESIDENTIAL
RACES
As a dogged fighter and struggler, General Lawan was never daunted by the electoral loss. Rather,
he preserved his calm and reposed everything to the Almighty Allah as well as calmed down his
mammothadherents and followers.Also, far from being a selfcentered politician, General Lawan
graciouslyagreed to support the leadership of the elected partyin 2011, when invited.
 He even
supported the subsequent governorship campaign of the ruling party, APC in the state, for Dr.
Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to have been elected in 2015, and subsequently in 2019.
As fate had it again, Lawal’s staunchsupportand contributionsto the presidential campaign of
General Muhammadu Buhari in 2015,didn’t yield him any political post.However, in the long
run, heremainedunshaken to the incident thathe was sidelined from the cabinet of General
Muhammad Buhari’s government.
HiS ROLE ASTHE CHAIRMAN L. J. ORGANIZATION & THEKANO STATE ICC
COORDINATOR
At the present dispensation however, well aware of his potentialities, the president elect, Alhaji
Ahmed Bola Tinubu drew General Lawan into his presidential campaign train.Luckily enough for
Tinubu, Lawan was not forsaken by his followers, nor were they forsaken by him. Thus, he
commandeered his people in all the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano state. They consist of
individuals, important personalities. Retired government officials, women and youths’groups as
well as numerous other volunteer and support groups from the civil society.
Soon as the campaign for the Tinubu’s presidential bid kick started, more and more other support
groups emerged and paid their homage and registered their support with the L. J. Organization for
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under General Lawan Jafaru Isa, in Kano.The Director General of
the L. J. Organization, Alhaji Sulaiman Muhammad Mambo, asserts that well over 550 groups had
registered with the organization.
After assessing and appreciating the performance of the L. J. Organization in its campaign for
Tinubu as well as the personal visit of Tinubu’s running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima to the
Organization, it was deemed timely to also create an Independent Campaign Council, ICC to
complement the effort of the Presidential Campaign Council, PCC. General Lawan was appointed
as the Kano state Coordinator of the ICC, in order to reach out to the grass-roots as well as to win
acceptance, due to the popularity and neutrality of General Lawan Jafaru Isa and his organization
to the Kano people.
THE BEST MATERIAL FOR NIGERIA’S DEFENSE
In view of the present situation of numerous security challenges in Nigeria, ranging from the Boko
haram and ISWAP insurgency in the NorthEast, the Banditry and Kidnapping in the NorthWest
and the North-Central states, as well as the IPOB, the notorious oil bunkers, the gas pipe-line
breakersand the Biafra dissidents in the South-South and the South here is no better way to end of these crisesbedeviling the nation and thus,hindering the country from development, than having a highly intelligent, competent and experienced ex-military
combatant such as Brigadier General Lawan Jafaru Isa in place.
The aforementioned profile and
history of military endeavor by Lawan gives him an upper hand and qualifies him for the job in
question.More so, to put it straight, the incoming administration for Asiwaju Bola Ahmad Tinubu
is seen as a pragmatic government of a person with tremendous experience and talent, going by
the antecedent of his governorship tenure in Lagos state. Tinubu owns the credit of putting Lagos
on development track, upon which it is still moving.
To say the leastamong others, hepurged Lagos state from the menace and criminality of the so
called ‘Area-Boys’,galvanized the states’economy and boosted the internal revenue drive to the
extent that Lagos now enviably ranks as one of the richest states in Africa. In terms of modern
infrastructure and physical development, Lagos is far ahead.
These glaring qualities of Tinubu
were some of the main reasons he won the mandate of many Nigerian voters, hoping he will reflect
same in leading the Nigerian nation.Therefore, far from exaggeration or nepotism, justfor the true
love of the nation, I therefore recommendGeneral Lawan Jafaru for the ministerial chair of the
nation’s defense.This is because his assignment as defense Minister would dove-tailwith
President Tinubu’s pragmatic and progressive agenda.
Dr.  Isa Muhammad Inuwa
Department of Linguistics & Foreign Languages,
Bayero University, Kano

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