The emergence of Rt. Hon. Bathiya Wesley, the member representing Hong Constituency in the Adamawa House of Assembly (ADHA) as the speaker was more of providence and divine arrangement.
Bathiya Wesley, who is barely 40 years old, is one of the youngest and high ranking legislators. He was elected for the second time, having made through a dint of hard work and consciously paved his way to the coveted office of the assembly.
Over the years, the young man has proven to be a man born with leadership strides and strengths, abilities he nursed to his current position. Bathiya, who hails from Hong, Adamawa state, was, prior to the 2015 and 2019 elections, a young lad with a lot of entrepreneurial zest, skills, and potential. He was more of a Lamb surviving in the jungle of lions, considering the fact that Hong is one of the elite local government areas of Adamawa state where being a graduate is not a thing of pride or what one should puff about.
Hong constituency is hard to win and difficult to get a ranking lawmaker. The former acting Governor of Adamawa state and former speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon Barka James Shuaibu, were the first to have a second term mandate; Rt Hon Bathiya Wesley, the current speaker, is the third.
Wesley’s life in Hong has been historic. Through his entrepreneurial gift, he lived a life of sacrifice. Introducing business concepts to his peers. Having completed high school, the speaker devoted himself to planning his future by creating and demonstrating good leadership for the destiny God has called him to.
One thing you cannot take away from this young speaker is his virtues of humility and respect, especially to elders and those he sees as his seniors. He is courageous in all he does and is brave in the face of daunting challenges and has confidence in himself to tell the truth to whosoever.
Despite the seemingly tough battle of the 2023 elections, winning the second term of the Adamawa House of Assembly seat of Hong to the young speaker was more of a walk over because of his political wisdom to navigate through the daunting challenges and get to where he is today. I discovered a political irony in this man; he believes in the philosophy of “all are mine, and all mine are theirs”. Wesley only sees party differences during electioneering, after that, he embraces everyone in the distribution of the dividends of democracy.
I am building up an observable opinion to say Adamawa state has gotten another breed of a leader, the assembly now has a young and intelligent speaker, who understands the rudiments of legislative process and the constitutional powers of legislators. He has demonstrated leadership by example. He is now on the driver’s seat of the state legislature.
Barely a month ago since Wesley got the gavel it has been serving the people of Adamawa state excellently. In his effort to fight insecurity in the state the speaker and his colleagues have pushed a bill for tougher punishment against Shila Boys, a criminal gang unleashing mayhem in Adamawa state. The bill aims at criminalising the deadly group who are growing their ugly heads of using weapons to seize cell phones and other valuables from members of the public, using tricycles.
Rt Hon Wesley has since gone far with his piloting skills in the affairs of the house plenaries. He has convinced many that he will take Adamawa state to greater heights with his lawmaking skills. Recently, he constituted a committee to investigate alleged illegal mining in Mubi South local government area. And this is just the starting point. The speaker has, indeed, hit the ground running.
The media was misled with the perceived false narrative that the speaker of the eighth Adamawa State House of Assembly is physically challenged. But those of us and many others, who knew him from birth, will testify that Bathiya Wesley was not born with an amputated hand. He was only a victim of circumstances. He had a hand fracture when he was quite younger, a primary school pupil, and it resulted in his hand removal. To this young chap, he has never seen himself to be a man with only one hand.
His brain works 24/7 and his one hand serves the complete purpose of two made hands. He is working the bills, he is turning things around for the state. With or with no hands at all, the man has proved the point that it’s not all about hands, “it’s about what the brain and the heart can offer”. The 8th assembly in Adamawa state now has a super speaker whose one hand is a strength hidden in wisdom to serve them better, he has proven to be a team leader with the executive under Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri to serve the Adamawa masses in an unprecedented manner.
Being a driver and born with business concepts, he traveled far and near to woo investors through friendly laws to come and do business with and for the people of Adamawa state. The state is endowed with all kinds of natural resources and good arable land for agriculture which will jack up the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the state, an opportunity the speaker and the governor will use to build the state.
From Toungo to Madagali, Fufore to Shelleng Wesley will lead the house to benefit all. He is piloting to save lives and to uplift the wellbeing of all and sundry. The journey, so far, is smooth under Bathiya Wesley. The experiences are not bad having had many James Bond holding steering the affairs of the house. For now, it is ride on Mr. Wesley.
May I however say that you should drive carefully, there could be dangerous bends and pedestrians move set as a trap to cause you a fatal accident. Adamawa state is not an easy state to lead. Former Speaker Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the current governor of the state, Speaker James Barka, the current House of Representatives member for Gombi/Hong, Speaker Ibrahim Dasin, Speaker Kabiru Mijin Yawa, the current member of Yola South constituency are all alive to give you the nuggets that Adamawa is a microcosm of Nigeria, it’s not easy to drive as such. Be wise! Be careful and drive to safety, Sir.
All the same, with God as your guide, I believe you will all take us there safely. All the best Mr Speaker.
Garba (B.Tech, MA. FIMC, FBDFM, SPSP), Tg News Chief Publisher, writes from Yola, Adamawa state, via [email protected]