BARNABAS GEMADE: POLITICS, PARLIAMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE .

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness” – Martin Luther King Jr.

It is often opined that the whole essence of creation is of man to live for man. Successful leaders, as Famous Chinese ancient Philosopher and writer, Lao Tzu, puts it, seek to place the people as focal factors, leading behind them, naturally placing the people’s cherished priorities, their interests and aspirations most centrally. Therefore, the success or otherwise of leadership is ultimately measured on the content of fulfillment or non derived by the followership from its leadership.
Informed by deeper cogitation and moral appetite to attempt a fair analogy of contemporary
leadership, given its efficacy or otherwise on the followers, one is naturally lured and prompted to dissipate mental energy on a few of such leadership brands that are likely graced in eloquence of what an ideal altruistic leadership should entail. Such leaders with unique passion for service to humanity
and the state spontaneously inches the mind, ,and in same altitude satisfies the curiosity of any author.

Barnabas Andyar Iyorher Gemade by measure of an excelling public service conduct, and a flair for progressively induced politics of development, a consummation of robust parliamentary undertakings
would fairly underscore the above connotation of what an ideal contemporary leadership should practically reflect. One would naturally ponder again with stimulating posers as to who this uniquely carved brand is? His rare, yet celebrated public persona, capped with a novel leadership paradigm that
have kept admirers on wits over decades, and of course some of the rare circumstances that have
carved out such an avowed achiever in our contemporary climes would sure suffice.

A very cursory introspection on Senator Barnabas Gemade’s public image would typically
resonates a sense of confidence and no doubt drive a curious mind to some of the very salient
facts that have over the years modelled this rare character to a profound crest as one of
Nigeria’s greatest minds and assets. In the course of an accomplished lucrative private sector practice and a rather challenging public service conduct, he had continued to fervently hold dear some of the rewarding values that genuinely seek to put the led over and above self. 
With a near untainted tract record of service, prompted on transparency, forthrightness, probity, fairness and an incorruptible stance, he has weathered the very demanding aspects of the Nigerian public service around sensitively challenging capacities of national reckoning and
relevance; first as Managing Director BCC PLC, a Federal Minister of Works, National Party Chairman of CNC and later the PDP, Nigeria’s once ruling Party, and now a Distinguished
Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

While he held firm as a National Party Chair, his deliberate philosophy at uplifting the
standards of humanity especially his Benue kinsmen would again replicate and it became the highest apotheosis in their lives. It is on record that Chief BAI Gemade roundly got over 50 of his Benue indigenes to be appointed into Federal Boards as Chairmen and members, a featunmatched till date since the creation of the State in 1976. This naturally would promptcredence to the obvious fact that this purist persona , his exemplary leadership qualities, an admirable excellent array of lasting prints and achievements still significantly marks for posterity.

As a Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he has left many marveling at his
inestimable value and care for humanity. He began on assumption of office in the 7th Senate with a deliberate policy at social emancipation and empowerment when he first practicalized the significance of an worthy public servant in the lives of his constituents. Early in 2012 and at  the ancient city of Korinya, Konshisha Local Government Area, and in the full glare of the public including the crème of Nigerian leadership in attendance he had kick start his social empowerment programme in an epoch making public event meant to unveil hisachievements
and dividends for the people. At the height of the event, Gemade had evenly distributed across
the 7 local governments several items to constituents to include:
Fleet of Toyota Hiace 18 Seater buses and Volks Wagen- made saloon cars and wagons,
hundreds of commercial motorcycles and tricycles, vulcanizing machines for the youth segments, several grinding machines mostly for women, generating power sets and including cash gifts to enable the people successfully elk a living through Small and Medium Scale
Enterprises with ease. In full public glare, the Senator’s score -card in infrastructure – education, roads, health, water, power, were reeled out, the people could not help but
emotionally affirmed that indeed this great leader has done much for them . 
A visibly elated Senator Chief David Mark, then Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, had similarly marveled at the magnitude of Senator Gemade’s impact and achievements in such a
relatively short span of time; and in same emotion ridden tone pointed out that indeed these
impressive practical works had surpassed his earlier imagination that ‘a typical Nigerian Senator could achieve thus much in less than 4 years at the Assembly’. To a responsive

Gemade, it was only natural and appropriate that leadership must come with its attendant  significance to give back to the people their ideal place and position as far as his social contract with the people stood.

Equally too, Senator Gemade had early in the life of the 7th Senate advanced the itinerary for hisliberation policy. He fervently pursued and ensured that Federal government employment slots meant for Benue indigenes at the various MDAs, the Police, , The National Bureau of Statistics,
the Nigerian Army, National Lottery Trust Fund, National Human Rights Commission were
roundly allotted and employed. Others fitted into The Nigerian, Security and Civil Defence

Corps, NOSDRA, Federal Universities, The JAMB, INEC, NHIS, NCAA, NPA , the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital as well as the National Planning Commission with several others falling into the Benue State Government establishments.


In same vein the Senator Gemade Scholarship grant scheme had began for constituents students. At inception more than 500 students across the Senatorial zone started benefitting
while the scheme was expanded to touch other vulnerable segments across Benue state. Not
done with the these segments, Senator Gemade at a personal capacity had earlier earmarked
and commenced work on other ventures to include; a cement factory at Mbaivende , Ushongo
Local Government, a fruit juice plant at the industrial Layout, Makurdi with the intrinsic need
to boost local economy and expand the employment coast. This is further heightened through other deliberate agriculture expansion drive when as early as 2012, he transited trailers loads of fertilizers to farmers across his constituency and has sustained same to boost agricultural yields in the face of a depleting crude oil fortunes.


Fundamentally too, roads network construction which analyst believe has being synonymous with Gemade’s since his days as a Minister of Works in the 80s and himself being a Civil Engineer, has prominently featured in his development agenda. On the 4th of March, 2012, he had led the then Honorable Minister of Works, Arch Mike Onolememen to flag off the construction of the Manyam-Ushongo-Lessel-Lobi-Kartyo-Agberagba-Oju-Agila roads as well asthe rehabilitation of the Vandeikya-Tsar-Obudu road and the rehabilitation of the Katsina-Ala-Tor Donga-Takum road, all projects to have been lobbied by the Senator into the 2014 Budget.

In health care delivery , the results are resounding as imagined. This exemplary leader had made bold his altruistic drive where he successfully supplied various state- of –the art medical equipment to each of the 7 General Hospitals across the Senatorial zone. Facilities which were almost moribund and a dearth of itself. Emphasis must be made here on this prolific
parliamentarian’s very notable strides in the education sector. Several completed modern
school blocks at both primary and post primary levels of learning and stocking same with ICT facilities one can only behold same with a chant of fulfilment. With thousands units of both
manual and motorized boreholes evenly spread across the Benue North- East at distinct 
communities and villages
Back on the Floor of the Hallowed Red Chambers of the Assembly, observers duly attest of the erudite public servant, a very virile and robust representative of the people to be a formidable blend in the business of lawmaking, oversights, and effective representation. He is acknowledged to like an excelling student, be very punctual and consistent at the Floor of the Senate, with fledging flair for a high publicly -cherished cerebral contributions for the development and growth of the Nigerian Democracy.

Remarkably so, the articulating voice of Senator Gemade at the Floor of the Senate had been
fierce, particularly against the ignoble activities of Fulani marauders and their resultant
bloodletting on Benue soils and other vulnerable ethnic groups. The populist Bill for the
Establishment of Ranches and Ranches Commission has its sponsorship credited to

Distinguished Senator BAI Gemade, howbeit its inability to scale through successfully given that such matters ranches creation solely lie with the federating states. 

This nonetheless smacks
proofs of an altruistic leader whose penchant to share and seek to alleviate the peoples’ pains makes him the selfless leader he has become in the minds of the people. This is also in addition to his earlier contributions in the 7th Senate, that the Federal Government brought to halt the incessant killings of innocent Benue , Plateau, Kaduna , and Nasarawa indigenes and his committed efforts to engender peace in such vulnerable areas.

With a better understanding and apriori of the socio- economic and political terrain, a clear
knowledge of the Nigerian state, her people and their aspirations and pains Senator Gemade
would usually advocate very prolific Bills that usually serve more in the interest of Nigerians and the nation. Some of such potent Bills so articulated include:
-Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the 1990 Constitution to Entrench Right to Food as a Fundamental Human Right of Nigerians.

-Bill for an Act to Provide for the Facilitation and Coordination of Public infrastructure
Development to Ensure that Infrastructural Development is given priority in Planning.

-Bill for an Act to Amend the EFCC (Establishment)Act 2004.

-Bill for an Act to Repeal the Bankrupcy and Insolvency Act.

-Bill for an Act to Amend the National Institute of Sports.., amongst others.
As early as the 1990s, the Tiv Area Traditional Council had recognized Chief BAI Gemade’s very vast yet selfless contributions to motherland. As a mark of honour, he was vested with the traditional title of Nom I Yange U Tiv literally translated as the Rising Sun Of Tiv Nation ; an honour that has been squared up to it ‘s attendant significance and responsibilities for a well
prepared leader of impeccable reckoning, immense credentials and the overall development of his Tiv and Nigeria at large.

Senator Chief (Dr) Engr Barnabas Andyar Iyorher Gemade, FNSE OFR, Is the Senate committee
Chairman on Housing and Urban Development. He had earlier served as Committee Chairmanfor National Planning in the 7th Senate where his zeal for nation building naturally reflectsthrough persistent sponsorship of Bills and motions, raising points of order and other salient
oversight roles and achieving optimal results to the benefit and admiration of many.

AKOSU EMMANUEL LUBEM
WRITES FROM ABUJA, NIGERIA
Twitter: @lubem-akosu, E-mail: akosumela@gmail.com