Ministerial screening: How lecturer watched as former student defended him at Senate

One of the ministerial nominees, Professor Tahir Mamman, was perhaps emotional when one of his former students at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, defended him.

Prof Mamman from Adamawa State is one of the nominees confirmed as a member of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.

The professor of Law was defended by a former student, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, who said the nominee treated him well during his university days, and in return blew his trumpet at the Red Chamber.

During the screening, Lawan, representing Borno Central senatorial district, said Mamman was his former law lecturer and Dean of student affairs, adding that he equipped him intellectually and otherwise.

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“My name is Kaka Shehu Lawan, I represent the good people of Borno Central senatorial district, from Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria,” Lawan said.

“The nominee standing before you is Professor Tahir Mamman, once my teacher, Head of the Department, and Dean of the Faculty of Law and Student Affairs, while I was a student at the University of Maiduguri. In part 2, he taught me Constitutional Law, and in part 3, Administrative Law.

“I am very happy to inform this Hallowed Chamber that I was a student union leader when he was the Student Union Affairs at the University of Maiduguri. Comrade Oshiomhole was also my mentor then when he was a Labour leader.”

The senator added that Mamman was intellectually sound in the discharge of his duties as a lecturer and also helped the students in the difficult moments of finding accommodation.

Lawan stated, “Mr President, Professor Taiwo Mamman was one of the best brains at the University of Maiduguri. As a lecturer in part 2, he fraternised with the students, when you asked him questions, he would answer.

“And then, he would practically expose us to the constitution and how it operates, the modus operandi of power of executive, legislature and judiciary were actually at our fingertips in part 2.

“In part 3, when the students of the University of Maiduguri were not entitled to accommodation, when he became the Dean of Student Affairs, he maneuvered his ways to make sure that the students were accommodated in the hostel. Not only that, he gave us free hands to operate as unionists at the University of Maiduguri.”

Mamman is currently the Vice Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja.