Jos North /Bassa Group Passes Vote Of Confidence On Hon Haruna Maitala Performance, Pledges Unalloyed Support

Yakubu Busari

A group under the aegis of the coalition of patriots for good governance, fairness, and justice (Jos North/ Bassa), has passed a vote of confidence on Hon Haruna Maitala, member representing Jos North/Bassa federal constituency in the National Assembly.

The following Mr. Remtju, Egejupu of  Tafawa Balewa ward North Hon. Moses Williams, Zobwp ward Bassa Mr. Audu Imbal Amos Mafara ward Bassa in a press conference held at Bishop Court, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau state.

Gentlemen of the press, it has become very necessary to address you today regarding the campaign of calumny raised and sustained against the Hon. the member representing we the good people of Jos North/Bassa federal constituency in the National Assembly, Haruna Maitala (Turakin  Jere).

This press briefing is borne out of the fact that being members and critical stakeholders in the constituency, we owe it a duty, firstly, to the Hon. member and to posterity.

We also pledge our unalloyed and total support for him as we debunk the white lies being bandied against him regarding his performance as our representative.

Recall that his journey to the Green  Chamber went through four stages; the first two stages at the polls and the last two at both the Lower and the Appeal Tribunal respectively. Despite extending the olive branch to the losers for the sake of democracy and our constituency, they rather chose the inglorious path of petty propaganda to tarnish the good name of the Hon. member.

At first, they didn’t hide their identities but when it became obvious that their campaign of calumny was rather drawing bad blood for them, they resorted to writing in pseudonym names. We commend the Hon member who in the face of these provocations, has remained focused.

It is in this regard that we find it necessary and obligated as constituents who have seen the tremendous achievement of Hon Maitala in just 11/2 years in office to tell the whole world about that and correct the erroneous impression given by these mischief-makers.

It is on record that immediately after the inauguration of the 9th Assembly, Hon. Maitala was deeply involved in the campaigns that eventually saw the emergence of leadership at the lower chamber.

A development that equally saw his appointment into 11 committees even as a first-timer. Thereafter, Hon. Maitala, being a promised keeper, decided to fulfill his campaign promises beginning in the area of empowerment.

Consequently,

in January 2020, Hon. Maitala sponsored over 1000 candidates for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board ( JAMB) and over 500 candidates for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

Unfortunately, the process of empowerment was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the world prompting lockdown on many countries, Nigeria inclusive.

The ugly development made it incumbent upon spirited government and individuals to diverse means of cushioning the effects of the pandemic.

We want to categorically state here that we are witnesses to Hon Haruna Maitala’s effort within the period aimed at cushioning the effect of the COVID-19 as he distributed food and other items worth millions of naira as a palliative to his constituents.

This was aside from his contribution to the COVID-19 fundraising in the two Local Government Areas (Jos North and Bassa that make up his constituency), the State and the Federal Governments respectively.

We also witnessed a continuation of the empowerment activity immediately after the lockdown when

Hon Maitala distributed fertilizer to all the Executive Committee Members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in his constituency in June 2020.

We are also testifying to the lobbying power of our Hon. a member which after meeting with the leadership of Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, resulted in the rehabilitation of Jos – Jengre – Zaria road and the award of contract for the construction of a 3-kilometer rural road in Rimi Ward, Pengana Chiefdom in Bassa LGA.

We are bold to further state that Hon Maitala has been able to secure appointments to some members of his constituents in Federal Government establishments such as the National Assembly Commission, Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, the Police Academy Wudil, the Nigerian Customs Service among others. We also know that he was able to secure admission to over 50 candidates into the University of Jos and assisted many with cash to enable them to carry out registration exercises.

With regards to insecurity, most especially in Bassa LGA, we are also witnesses to the fact that Hon Maitala has been having discussions with stakeholders and in July this year had an interface with a committee set up by the Irigwe Traditional Council to come up with modalities on how to bring a solution to the recurrent attacks in the community.

The Hon member during the meeting promised to synergize with I D Gyang, Senator representing Plateau North Senatorial District in the National Assembly to achieve that purpose.

It is obvious that the relative peace being witnessed in the area currently is as a result of that effort.

We also wish to state that Hon Maitala has donated cash to the neighborhood Watch of some communities in Jos North for the purchase of operational vehicles and other working equipment.

Taking the above into consideration, you would agree with us that it is only God fearless and experts in mischief-making would go public and say that Hon Maitala has not been seen for 300 days (which is almost one year).

It for the above reasons that we deem fit to address you and inform the world that Hon Haruna Maitala has not derailed in his campaign promises.

It is instructive to further add that he has deeply involved us in his programs for the constituency and we are more than satisfied with his performance so far.

We call the bluff of the faceless people asking the Hon member to either resign or be recalled and challenge them to carry out their threat. We acknowledged the fact that the recall of an elected member is part of the democratic process but it doesn’t start and ends in noise making and blackmail. We make bold to state that the farthest these faceless people can go in their project (if there is any at all) is to succeed in obtaining thumbprints of pupils in Kindergarten which eventually would serve them no purpose.

As human beings, we know that Hon Maitala is infallible and therefore, has his shortcomings. It is the reason we would continue to engage him by way of constructive criticism for the sake of our democracy and our constituency and we call on well-meaning individuals to tore the same line.

It is also for this reason that we are calling on all those who hold our constituency in high esteem to contribute positively toward enhancing its progress.