James Shaibu Barka

James Shaibu Barka (born 1961) was elected a member of the Adamawa State, Nigeria House of Assembly and was appointed Speaker. When Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako's election was nullified in February 2008, Barka became Acting Governor, handing back to Nyako after he had been reelected on 29 April 2008. Quotes I was born on September 8, 1961 in Kalaa village, Hong Local Government Area. My birth name is Shuaibu. I was born a Muslim but converted to Christianity while attending a missionary school run by catholic missionaries in Kalaa. This was because my father who was a Muslim had no qualms with our choice of faith. I later attended the Teachers College in Bazza and Numan. I was not born with a silver spoon; my parents were peasant farmers and so they could not fund my education beyond Teachers College. I was very young when I enrolled into the Teachers College and after I completed the programme, I started teaching and from there went on to work with some private organisations where I raised the money to further my education. So, my struggle began at a very tender age. I joined politics in 1998, although I was very reluctant. Prior to my joining politics, if anybody had told me I would one day go into politics I wouldn’t have believed the person. The love for my people pushed me into politics even though if I have to be honest, I was actually dragged into politics. It was the voice of the people that compelled me to go into politics. Due to my meteoric rise in politics, some people thought I had a godfather who brought me into politics and was supporting me, whereas I never knew any prominent politician at the time I joined politics. It was the people from my constituency who beckoned on me to come. Well, I am an incurable optimist when it comes to fate. I believe in destiny, I wasn’t on the ballot but I became the acting governor by some divine providence. Graciously, God decided to entrust me with the mantle of leadership of the state even though I had only gone to the House of Assembly to represent my people out of my humble submission to their call. My appointment as majority leader of the Assembly helped to prepare and exposed me to legislative business. I did well as majority leader of the House and it resonated with the people in the party. As a result of my performance as majority leader when the 4th Assembly was inaugurated my colleagues elected me as Speaker of the Assembly. So, going by our constitution that if the governor and his deputy are removed from office, the speaker should be sworn in, I emerged as the acting governor. That was when Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd.) was removed by the Appeal Court, based on the ruling of the Elections Petitions Tribunal. External links Category:Politicians from Nigeria Category:1961 births Category:Living people