By Ahmad Muhammad Danyaro
The National Assembly is a constitutional locomotive for any purposeful democratic government; it provides checks to the government of the day and a legal basis for the system in general. This is basically accounting for the high respect usually accorded and, of course, the attendant high expectation placed on it. The legislative arm of government like any other is saddled with the responsibility enshrined in the constitution and among such major functions includes representation, oversight and law making in addition to many other numerous functions.
In 2019 when the lower house searches for the best man to steer the affairs of the House of Representative alongside the anointed Speaker Hon Femi Gbajabiamila who was then the House Leader , one name is usually ringing bell for this serious legislative task. He is Hon Ahmed Idris Wase the then deputy house leader in the 8th assembly. He is delightful humanist, seasoned administrator, eloquent orator , pragmatic strategist, phenomenal legislator and parliamentary manager whose entire life is propelled by progressive ideas. The legislative czar with hundreds of bills and motions in the green chamber senate from 2007-date .
Hon. Ahmed Idris was born on the 1st June, 1964 in Bashar District of Wase Local Government Area, Plateau State to the family of Mallam Idris. He enrolled into LSB Primary School Bashar where he obtained His First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1978. He then proceeded to Government Secondary school Mbar and he was later transferred to Government Secondary school Dengi the present day Kanam Local Government Area. In his quest for knowledge and pursuit for education, Hon. Ahmed Idris gained admission into Plateau state Polytechnic to study Civil Engineering in 1983, where he obtained a National Diploma in Civil Engineering in 1986. He later applied for a Higher National Diploma programme with the Kaduna State Polytechnic and bagged the Certificate in Civil Engineering in 1995.
In his zeal to understand the dynamics of good governance and positive social change, he applied for an executive programme at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, United states where he bagged an Executive Certificate course in Strategic Governance in 2016.
Hon. Idris was elected into the lower Chamber of the National Assembly in 2007 and is currently serving his third (4th) term as a member of House of Representatives, Wase Federal Constituency.
In 2015, Hon. Ahmed Idris was appointed a Governing Board member of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) where he contributed to the development of robust Legislative and democratic engagements. In June, 2018, Hon. Idris was appointed as Regional Representative for West Africa to serve on the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) International.
In 2018, he was appointed through popular support as the Deputy House Leader to replace the Late Buba Jubril who passed away in June of the same year. He was elected Deputy speaker in 9th National assembly, House of Representative, with 358 votes unopposed.In the same 2019 he was elected as 1st deputy speaker of ECOWAS parliament .
His legislative priorities are education, health, good roads and water. Also accredited to him are the following; sponsorship of students scholarships, infrastructural development which includes: solar street lights, hand pump and motorized boreholes, renovation of primary healthcare centres, building of skills acquisition centres, lobbying for the construction of roads and renovation of secondary and primary schools]
He is an advocate for Youth Empowerment and poverty alleviation. He has achieved these through: issuing of grants to the Youths and providing welfare packages to the less privileged.
Hon Wase has opened yet another vista of debate among electorates on the value of quality representation with vigour ,expertise and experience of having a wider constituency responsibility and coverage among his colleagues .He has vindicated his mettle and constituents that the confidence reposes in him was not in vain with his eloquent consistent and fearless voice always seeking the improvement of lives of his constituents and Nigeria in general through legislative interventions in his desire to improve the good laws that will help enrich the living standard of Nigerians and enhance the general security situation in the country.
Hon Ahmed Idris Wase commands a lot of respect from his colleagues, largely due to the way he articulates his ideas and thoughts each time he speaks on the floor of the house as his colleagues listen with rapt attention whenever he contributes to any debate or table a motion which comes in regularly. His calmness and maturity have earned him the nickname “the stabilizer”, amongst friends and colleagues, many of whom consult him for advice which has come in handy in more than a few times.
The 4th term member has also been constant, stabilising factor in the 6th, 7th and 8th House he serves as deputy house leader and 9th house he is currently serving as deputy speaker , following his numerous behind the scenes interventions and mediations on critical national issues. He has a big dossier of constituency outreach that reflects his close touch with his constituents. He has utilized the opportunity given to him through projects he attracted to his constituency and his name is registered in the heart of his people.
The Deputy Speaker is truly a representative of the people going by the amount of work he was able to do for the overall benefit of his constituents long ago he became the second in command in the green chambers. In fact, it worth elucidating that the deputy speaker was able to touch the lives of the people of in his years of legislative stewardship.
So far, he has proved to be one of the few federal lawmakers that people are happy with the impact of their representation. No matter what anyone would say, the number of dividends of democracy that this parliamentarian was able to bring to the door step of the people he is representing is unmatched.
Danyaro wrote in from Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent Wuse 2 Abuja and can reached at ahmaddanyaro2017@gmail.com
