ALHASSAN RABIU: THE GREATEST STUDENT POLITICIAN

ALHASSAN RABIU: THE GREATEST STUDENT POLITICIAN, THOUGHTS TO REMEMBER. IDDRISU ABDUL- HAK

I have taken what I consider as my biggest weapon, thus my pen in the middle of the night with time check 00:05 GMT. You must be wondering why I’m still awake and not sleeping! Don’t worry, we do this always and I even have class at 7:00 GMT, but this milo I have mixed might make me stay awake for long. I definitely know when its 04:50, I will have to wake up for fajr prayers.

Anyway, I think you’ve known enough of mood so let’s set ourselves into business. I write a lot but at this point I have learnt not to burden readers with so much because the school has put so much on them that writing more for them excites them no more but punishes them. Left to me alone, I will give readers three articles every week but time and the very lukewarm attitude of my partners does not encourage me to write. So in a few weeks, Salman Faris and Nabila San La will add up to authors on this blog because as learnt earlier, I have a campaign to run and other issues to settle so the weight on my shoulders are so much I can’t handle writing alone.

Still on my point today, I am not Soludo, Fayemi or Okonjo Iweala. Neither am I Stephen Abugri or Yaw Boadu Ayeboafor (Nigeria and Ghana I look upto) to write you long articles, so today im doing something small on a man I had little time with but it turned me out to become moment that changed my life. Yes, my life changed after Alhassan Rabiu and myself met for the first time. This was a man I heard on radio evry morning and at a point on majority caucus on Joy News. Someone I didn’t like that much not because of his personality, but the way he pounced on issues my party raised anytime he had the opportunity.(NB: I didn’t hate him for that. Its normal not to like opponents in politics but that is no substitute for hate).

One morning before I got admission into UDS, as usually of my dad, he tuned to Justice fm on his radio set with the volume high to listen to their news at 6:00 GMT while I just finished reading the Quran. I heard the headline “Northern Youth of the NDC reply NPP National Youth Organizer Anthony Karbo” I was eager, yes! Very eager because a day before on Diamond fm morning show I heard Rabiu and my NYO slack it out on Northern development. Then came the story and the voice that addressed this press conference was that guy I was expecting…..Alhassan Rabiu and since I always enjoyed debates he did with another gentleman I was close to Akbar Knomeni, mum likes to add Rohullah. I liked their debates not just for politics and decent manner in which they run their presentations. Something that young politicians still miss and for me a problem that might haunt our young democracy.

Then came the moment I had admission into the university and towards the end of my first trimester, one faithful evening when after our usual Bamahu market journey with a guy I so much respect and love Bee-Jar. We decided not to lazy around so we took to FIFA 12 when suddenly, the sound of motor bikes were heard inside the compound of the famous Fadai-lu-lahi hostel. The door was knocked and in came Rafik Jawula (chancellor) with two guys, it was chancellor I knew since we attended the same high school TAMASCO, they sat on the bed since we had no chairs in the room. Also in the room with us was the Lion, Shamsu and that guy whose body is like a blackboard Ghandy. This two guys I talked to you earlier about introduced themselves us, one us Alhassan Rabiu, then in my mind was what?!! Okay ECGhave takenmy lights so I will continue when they bring it back.

Its morning and after my lecture and I’m back again to continue from where I stopped. I told them about a place where most of the boys spent most of their time which was my house. It had Yasir and Nazeef who were guys we called lions due to a rivalry they had over space and dominance. Touching of our meeting with rabiu was when he told us his intent for the Student Representative Council (SRC) presidencywas not for himself but to all of us especially guys who aspired to do politics like myself and my big brother Sadat. I must admit that his speech got me and from then I always wanted to hear him speak with emphasis to “the Chinese have a saying that the world is moving so fast that, even if you want to stay where you are, you have to run”….haha. He (Rabiu) told us that evening it was just an intent declaration and not a campaign so there was no need announcing policies and programs. Then we exchanged numbers and had a little chat and laughs over our facebook arguments.

Then came the moment when one day during vacation, I received a call from Chancellor telling me about a meeting at EP JHS in tamale. I had then no means of transport but Chancellor offered to give a ride when I came to town. This was in fact my first engagement in student politics and antics. At the meeting, there was a lot said and very ignorant about student politics, then I heard  the name Majeed. Then it went on to become the mistake the Rabiu team made for me at the meeting that also had my senior from JHS Abdul-Hak, Raazika, Sadia, Naabs and the then DASA president whose name I can’t recall but another costly mistake those around Senior Rabiu was that they tilted the campaign towards a Dagomba centered one, am sure after GMSA didn’t want to support but the good comrade am sure will disagree. I must say that I left that meeting with more disappointment than relief, but my resolve remained same because no matter who came out to contest Rabiu was still the best judging from his relationship with the “men with power”, in-depth experience in leadershipat the tertiary level (Batco SRC President) and his commitment to seeing a better UDS. Of all the three I must say experience topped it and for me anytime, anywhere and any day I will choose experience over anything apart from incompetence which again makes me a Nana Addo boy. Forgive for that though.

When school re-opened for the second trimester and the campaign began, many paid us visits, made promises and some even gave us entertainment but I resolved to stay with Rabiu even when many who knew my party stance questioned me and to date as I aspire for TESCON Vice President, these people remind me of it but but I told them and I will continue to tell them that I made a choice for Rabiu because I had trust in him and that if he won our status as the most deprived university in Ghana would have changed and the convention of student leadership bowing to school administration would have ended which could have gone a long way to better our lives. I made a choice for Rabiu because he had everything I wanted to see in a student leader. Forget the good speeches, after all, President Barack Obama has proven good speeches don’t make good leaders but if you wanted a leader who could bring sanity into a system full of dirt and in fact I have never had trust in the SRC since for be it is a “breeding grounds for young thieves who will grow to be state robbers” forgive my language because I am getting emotional and need a sip of milo. Alright, am cool now and hope you understand why I chose Alhassan Rabiu, if you don’t at this point I am sorry I can’t go further but I will make you happy because even with that I felt sidelined by his team and he had full blame for that. One evening I went into a house to campaign for him without his knowledge and prior to that, I called him twice to inform him but there was no response to my calls but it dint at all touch me. all I wanted from him was a poster so I downloaded it from his profile picture on whatsapp. During my campaign I told these ladies about the man I am here for and we had a wonderful chat but all they wanted me to do was to bring him because they told me his main challenger just left. I tried to reach him but to no avail. This left me dumped in my spirit but I still stood my grounds that no matter what, he still had my vote but this is politics and my vote was not enough but my support was needed so I tried with the guys around me, thus, Nabila, Nazeef, Coded, Ghandy et al and it was successful, only two refused and I with anonymity as an ethic I would hold their names. Even with the guys, one faithful morning Bee-Jar and Ghandy were arrested over traffic offenses and we tried almost all the candidates for help but to no avail then they put it to me to call my candidate, I so much thought he would pick this time but there was no results and that was it. He told us he would get back to us but he did it very late after they faced the wrath of the police and DVLA just because they didn’t wear helmet. At this point, many of them decided to stay away from the vote and back to the ladies, they had the power to pull the men out to vote because on  campus her, there is so much apathy with elections. All the criticisms I have made about the campaign does not mean I wanted to be at the center of…….not at all, I was just in my first year and I had no knowledge of how politics was run but at Rabiu’s level he should have all in place.

The campaign had many positives I must admit, especially the manner in which they woed people and wowed people. Rabiu was portrayed as a devil but anytime he met those who saw him as that, there was a change in mind and heart. No contender, I repeat NO CONTENDER marched Rabiu in any form or way in the contest. To date, despite the loss I must say I have toed the line of the campaign but with inventions to avoid loss.

The big day came for the election, early morning that day, there was heavy rain and I must say it deterred many from coming out but Pablo whose cousin was contesting for the Women’s Commissioner quickly got a troski to convey each and every one to our respective pooling stations. On our way, I made final point to the guys and a consensus was reached to vote both MC’s of the DASA handing over ceremony. The turning point for me was at the polling station where to my outermost shock, people brought to scholl not just to better lives but also better minds to me thought the hell by telling me how the Andani faction of Dabgon dispute were sponsoring Rabiu and how he sat on monitoring caucus to diss my beloved Nana Addo. These were all false, unnecessary and uncalled for and I must commend Ghandy, Shansu, Coded, Bee-Jar and Nazeef for standing their grounds, despite the results they stand out as men I can always have trust in. there were also ladies I so much respected who also formed part of the ‘Destroy Rabiu’ cabal but we’ve moved on and I’m sure we all know how they have all ended on campus. I’m sure we all know the result of the election.

In the end Rabiu lost and saw it unnecessary for a run-off which fir me deserved another salute and from then made more friends that enemies as people immediately regretted for their choices as days passed and Rabiu got vindicated and graduated with respect. I am sure the winner cant boast of but for me after losing, the only place I could contact him was on facebook and maybe the usual rood side meeting. I will forever regard Rabiu as the greatest student politician I have met. The “Saaya-gungong” man was fascinating. I admired his maturity and sense of will and conviction and hope to see him in the elephant colors in the near future or may be the general secretary of the would be opposition(NDC)….hahaha but all the best, Chancellor never stop telling us your stories….yes not a day passes without an experience and for me my time with you was short but treasuring. I believe with men like you at the top of our politics not forgetting the Salam Mustapha and Akbars, there will be more than sanity in our politics and trust will be gained so young men like myself can join. You always say “Allah is all I have and Islam is my family” sure “Allah also has you and Islam is behind you”

Iddrisu Abdul-Hak

The author is an IDS level 200 student and a TESCON Vice President Aspirant. He can be reached on TWITTER: @deerok4   Email: hakabdul41@yahoo.com