Early career
Born on 4 September 1948 in Benue State, Dr. Barnabas Gemade is a chief from the Tiv ethnic group.[1] He holds the title of the Nom-I-Yange-I-Tiv. Gemade was the chief executive officer of the Benue Cement Company (BCC) from 1985 to 1992, and was said to have been highly effective in this position.[3] Gemade was a member of the 1994–1995 Constitutional Conference during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. He has held the positions of Secretary (Minister) of Works and National Chairman of the Congress of National Consensus party, which was one of the parties sponsored by Abacha.
PDP chief
In the first national convention of the PDP after the April 1999 general elections, Gemade was elected National chairman after a tough competition with the party founder Chief Sunday Awoniyi.[4] He succeeded Solomon Lar, the first chairman of the party, and was elected in part due to zoning rules which favoured giving the post to a northerner. Gemade initially had the solid backing of President Olusegun Obasanjo.[4] However, before the 2001 National Convention held on 9–10 November, he was facing strong opposition from powerful interests in the party.[1] When he tried to be elected chairman for a second term with Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo as secretary, the two lost out to chief Audu Ogbeh who became chairman and Vincent Ogbulafor who became secretary.
In the 2003 PDP presidential primaries, Gemade lost to former president Olusegun Obasanjo, who went on to be re-elected. In April 2003 he was expelled from the PDP on account of alleged anti-party activities. The main reason was that in the 2003 elections for Governor of Benue State he had supported the candidate of the United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP) rather than the PDP candidate, Chief George Akume. Later he was readmitted to the party and became a member of the Board of Trustees. In a January 2011 interview, he described the turbulence in the leadership of the PDP in the early years as healthy, showing competition between individuals rather than a power-sharing arrangement between the different groups.
In a November 2010 interview, Gemade supported the decision to allow incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan to run for election, despite the fact that some felt zoning rules meant the candidature should go to a northerner. He disputed that Jonathan's candidature could lead to the breakup of the country, and noted as a member of a minority ethnic group in the north that the minority groups had always been strong supporters of national unity.
Senator
Gemade was a strong supporter of Joseph Akaagerger when he was elected Senator for Benue North East in 2007. In the April 2011 elections, he decided to challenge Akaagerger for the Senate seat. Several incidents occurred in Benue in run-up to the election, culminating in the shooting of General Lawrence Onoja. Gemade was among leaders questioned about the violence by the State Security Services in March 2011. Others questioned included George Akume, Iyorchia Ayu and Daniel Saror.
In the 9 April 2011 elections for Senator of Benue North East, Gemade ran on the PDP platform and won 229,682 votes, beating Akaagerger who had moved to the Action Congress of Nigeria and obtained 143,978 votes.
EDUCATION
He started his educational career at Mkar Demonstration School, Mkar in 1957 and obtained his First School Leaving Certificate, FSLC, in 1963. He entered the famous William Bristow Secondary School, Gboko in 1968 with flying colours, proceeded to Government College, Keffi in 1969-1970 for his Higher School Certificate, HSC. In 1971, he gained admission into the Ahmadu Bello University, Abu, Zaria to study Civil Engineering and graduated in 1974 with Bachelor of Engineering, B. Eng. (Civil) Degree. He satisfactorily completed his National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, at Western Nigeria Housing Corporation, Ibadan in 1975 as Graduate Engineer.
In 1977, he was admitted for post-graduate studies at the City University London where he bagged a Master of Science, M.Sc. (Eng.) (Highway & Transport) Degree in 1978 and became Member, Institute of Highways & Transport, MIHT, of the United Kingdom. Chief Senator (Dr.) Engr. Gemade became a Chartered Engineer by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, in 1979. In 1989, he became a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, FNSE, and in 1990 became an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Science & Technology, FNIST, Ibadan and became Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, FNIPR.
AWARDS
Prior to his award of Honorary Doctor of Science (Honories Causa) of the University of Calabar in 1996, Chief Barnabas Gemade was a recipient of the National Productivity Merit Award in 1993 for his exemplary contribution to National Productivity in Industry and Fellowship Award of the Benue Polytechnic, Ugbokolo.
In the year 2002, he was conferred with the Honorary Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi. Other Awards include:
- Distinguished Merit Award, ABU Zaria
- COREN Merit Award, 2000
- NSE Merit Award, 2000
- OFR, Order of the Federal Republic
WORKING EXPERIENCE
Chief Engr. Gemade began his serious working career with Etteh Aro & Partners, Consulting Engineers, as Senior Manager in the Jos office in 1975-1977 and later in Kaduna office from 1978-1979. From 1979-1980, he was the Senior Manager/Site Agent with Carl Ploetner (Nig.) Ltd. for the Construction of Wasagu Kotonkoro Road in Kebbi State. He left the Company in 1980 to co-found Sam-Barns & Partners (Consulting Engineers) with Head Office at Jos, serving as the Managing Partner.
He held that position till 1985 when he was invited to serve as Deputy Managing Director at the Benue Cement Company, BCC Plc, Gboko and in 1987, he was meritoriously promoted to Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. He was the first indigenous Managing Director of the Company. He served in that capacity for six (6) years. During his tenure, Benue Cement Company Plc produced 900,000 tons of Cement every year with an annual turn-over of over N500 million using a work force of over 1,500 persons. It was also during his tenure that the Benue Cement Company (BCC) Lions Football Club brilliantly won the 1989 Edition of the Challenge Cup and the 1990 Mandela (Confederation of African Football CAF) Cup Champions Cup.
He held that position till 1985 when he was invited to serve as Deputy Managing Director at the Benue Cement Company, BCC Plc, Gboko and in 1987, he was meritoriously promoted to Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. He was the first indigenous Managing Director of the Company. He served in that capacity for six (6) years. During his tenure, Benue Cement Company Plc produced 900,000 tons of Cement every year with an annual turn-over of over N500 million using a work force of over 1,500 persons. It was also during his tenure that the Benue Cement Company (BCC) Lions Football Club brilliantly won the 1989 Edition of the Challenge Cup and the 1990 Mandela (Confederation of African Football CAF) Cup Champions Cup.
He ensured the smooth running of the business enterprise, employed a good number of youths and gave financial empowerment to indigenous businessmen and contractors.
He trained and appointed many indigenous Managers to take-over from the Expatriate Managers. Particular mention can be made of Mr. Agum, Engr. Nyagba, Aende, Unum, Atagher, Mku, Ulam, Sam Tar, Achiatar, Chive, Kankwe, Yaji, Lorngurum, Ukpi etc.
Owing to Chief Engr. Gemade’s impeccable credentials and meritorious service, the then Military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida appointed him Honourable Minister of Works and Housing and Member of the Ernest Shonekan-led Interim National Government, ING, in 1993. He was also Member, Board of Directors of National Agency for Science & Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI. The Interim National Government was however short-lived owing to a palace coup staged by late Gen. Sani Abacha in November, 1993.
However, during his short tenure as Minister, he facilitated the construction of many Federal Roads in the State e.g. Yandev-Buruku, Awajir Gboko-Ihugh, Tse Mker etc. He employed a good number of Benue State indigenes into the Federal Civil Service most of whom are now high ranking officers. He also empowered numerous Benue people by contract awards, housing allocations and plots of lands in Abuja and Lagos.
These achievements won him an unprecedented reception by the Benue Community at the Makurdi Airport on his return home. He was escorted to the Tor-Tiv Palace with a motorcade of over 200 vehicles. The Paramount Ruler received him and his entourage with dignity and made a special address where he declared that Chief Gemade had opened a school for all Tiv sons and daughters holding or desirous of holding public office to attend. He was, by implication, telling Tiv sons and daughters to emulate Chief B.A.I. Gemade while in office.
DIRECTORSHIP
Chief (Dr.) Gemade has held the following positions:
i. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Consus (Nig.) Ltd., Building & Civil Engineering Contractors.
ii. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Urban Habitat & Properties Ltd., Property Development Company in Abuja.
iii. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Anderson Drilling (Nig.) Ltd., Water Well Drilling Engineers.
iv. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sam Barns & Partners, Consulting Engineers, Jos.
v. Director, Cornerstone Insurance Co. Ltd.
vi. Chairman, Benue Valley Investments and Trust Limited
PROFESSIONAL PAPERS PRESENTED
i. Economic Development of Benue State:
Delivered at the President’s Dinner/Award Night of the Benue Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture, Makurdi, 19th February, 1987.
ii. Engineering Maintenance for Technological Self-Reliance in Nigeria:
Delivered at the Professional dinner organized by the Nigeria Society of Engineers, Benue State Branch at Plaza Hotel, Makurdi,15th October, 1988.
iii. Cement in Physical Development of Nigeria Prospects and Problems:
Delivered at the Annual Conference of Nigeria Geo-Sciences Kaduna, March 1990.
v. Public Relations in industry:
Delivered at the National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relation, NIPR, Port Harcourt. August 30th September 2nd, 1990.
vi. Structural Adjustment Policy and National Self Reliance in Agricultural Development:
Delivered at the Nigerian Society of Agricultural Engineering, NSAE, Makurdi, September, 1990
vii. Housing for all by the year 2000. How feasible?
Delivered at the West African Property Corporation, WAPCO, Conference, Lagos, November 1990.
viii. Keynote Address at numerous Conferences including:
a. National Conference on Works, Sokoto, July 1993
b. National Conference on Housing, Uyo, August, 1993
ix. The Role of Political Inauguration of the Nigeria Local Government Consultative Forum, Abuja, 2nd August, 1997.
x. The Consolidation of Political Mandate: The Challenges of Growth:
Presidential at the PDP National Seminar, Abuja, July, 2001.
TRAVELS
Chief (Dr.) Gemade who speaks Tiv, English and Hausa fluently, is widely travelled and has visited Britain, United States of America, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Taiwan, Japan, China Netherlands, India, Niger and South Africa.
MARITAL STATUS
Chief Barnabas Gemade, a devout Christian of the NKST faith is happily wedded to Chief (Mrs.) Vickie M. Gemade and they are blessed with four (4) children: Vandefan, Sedoo, Terpase and Shiekuma, three boys and one girl.
HOBBIES
Badminton, Basket Ball, Current Affairs, Soccer Fan, Country Music, Hunting and Photography.
SPECIAL NOTE
During his tenure as PDP National Chairman, over fifty Benue indigenes got appointed into Chairmanship and Membership of Federal Boards thus recording the highest representation ever since the State was created in 1976. He contributed to the peace process during the Benue –Taraba and Benue-Nasarawa boundary crises. He also gave financial and material support to the victims. He brought and distributed about forty (40) vehicles to many individuals from his personal resources.
SUMMARY OF BILLS PRESENTED BY GEMADE
S/NO.
|
BILL NO.
|
TITLE
|
VOL.
|
PAGE
|
STAGE OF BILL
|
1.
|
SB. 156 (2012)
|
A Bill for an Act to Amend the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission Act, Cap R7 LFN, 2004 to Grant the Commission Enforcement Powers in the Monitoring of Accruals to and Disbursement of Revenue from the Federation Account and Bring the Act into Conformity with the Provisions of the 1999 constitution (as Amended) and for other Matters Connected Therewith
|
8
|
C4611 - 4625
|
First Reading
|
2.
|
A Bill for an Act to Amend the Police Service Commission (Establishment) Act, 2011 and for Other Related Maters
|
Second Reading
| |||
3.
|
SB. 261 (2012)
|
A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to Entrench Right to Food as a Fundament Human Right of Nigerians and for Other Matters Connected Thereto
|
10
|
C333 – 335
|
First Reading (Joint bill)
|
4.
|
SB. 300 (2013)
|
A Bill for an Act to Amend the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004
|
10
|
C1125– 1128
|
First Reading
|
5.
|
SB. 301 (2013)
|
A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Institute for Sports and For Other Matters Connected Therewith
|
10
|
C1129 – 1134
|
First Reading
|
6.
|
SB. 302 (2013)
|
10
|
C1137 – 1140
|
First Reading
| |
7.
|
SB. 301 (2013)
|
A Bill for an Act to Amend the Federal Highways act CapFi3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2011 and to Provide for Matters Connected Therewith
|
10
|
C1141 – 1114
|
First Reading
|
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