Senate Presidency: Why Not Gemade?
I have been following with ardent interest discussions regarding who should be the Senate President in the next administration. Already, candidates have been endorsed by various individuals, institutions, groups etc.
But what surprises me is that, somebody like Dr. Barnabas Gemade, who has served this nation in various capacities and has demonstrated charisma or magnetism of a good leader has not been endorsed by anyone for the position of the senate presidency.
Based on what I have observed so far, majority of the people who are endorsing candidates for the senate presidency position, are looking at who contributed more for APC’s victory, who has spent years in APC more than others, who is more popular in APC than others and so on. I heard some people saying that Senator George Akume should be compensated due to the fact that he once contested for senate presidency but failed.
Leadership should be given to someone, based on his credibility or integrity and not because he is more popular than others; not because he has money more than others or he is more influential than others. Some people are influential but dangerous and should not be allowed to lead or rule. Leadership should not be given on the ground of compensation. You compensate someone when you are responsible for his loss.
I took my time to examine and re-examine Senator Gemade, and I realized that he is a peace loving personality. He demonstrated that when the outgoing Governor of Benue State, Suswam tactically hijacked the senatorial ticket from him, under the platform of the injured PDP, to prevent him from coming to National Assembly for the second time. Being a man of peace, he quietly left Suswam in PDP and joined APC to enable him actualize his senatorial ambition. Thereafter, he defeated Suswam neatly.
He is also a perfect gentleman at heart. Gemade has also demonstrated his gentility when he was the National Chairman of PDP. When Dr. Audu Ogbeh was more interested in becoming the National Chairman of PDP while Dr. Gemade was still the Chairman, Gemade quietly stepped down for Ogbeh. After that, the so called PDP neglected him and did not even give him any position until 2011when his statesmanship attitude made the people of Benue North East to send him to the National Assembly to represent them.
Senator Gemade possessed so many qualities of a good leader and he should be respected and honoured with the Senate Presidency.
Conclusively, I want to sound a note of warning: don’t give the position of senate president to an arrogant, selfish and corrupt person, look for someone with better leadership qualities, such as credibility, selflessness, gentility and considerate. I present, Engineer, Dr. Barnabas Andya Gemade.
