Yakubu Busari
The Plateau state Council of Radio, Television, & Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) last week conferred on Hon. Haruna Maitala, member representing Jos North/Bassa federal constituency in the National Assembly with the prestigious Excellence Representation Award.
Presenting the award, Chairman of RATTAWU Plateau State Council, Dolnna’an Emmanuel said that the award to Hon. Maitala and other recipients became imperative taking into cognizance that they have distinguished themselves by immensely contributing their quota toward nation building.
RATTAWU noted specifically that the award presented to Hon. Maitala was based on his people oriented representation in the provision of dividends of democracy to the people.
In his response, the Hon. member thanked the Union for recognizing and appreciating his contribution to the growth of democracy and dedicated the award to his constituents for finding him worthy to represent them.
Maitala added that the award would surely be served as a tonic towards greater performance and further called on constituents to remain steadfast and committed to peace in anticipation of more dividends of democracy.
Since the advent of this democratic dispensation in 1999, Hon. Haruna Maitala is the only member representing Jos North/Bassa federal constituency that holds the enviable record of avoiding politics and silently touching and making a direct impact in the lives of his constituents, mostly, the masses and the rural populace in a significant, spectacular manner in just one year in office.
After the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly, Maitala was neck-deep in its politics and played a significant role in the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly.
Thereafter, he secured membership of 11 committees despite being a first-timer. While still making efforts to acquaint himself with the new environment, he went ahead to fulfill some of his campaign promises in the areas of human empowerment and development.
Consequently, he paid for the registration of over 500 candidates for Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE) and Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations in his constituency.
While in the process, the COVID-19 pandemic took center stage. The menace of the pandemic ravaged the world prompting a total lockdown of the country.
In light of this, the attitude, efforts, and commitment turned to work out modalities of providing palliative to the populace to cushion the effect of the pandemic.
It was in this regard that the member distributed food and other items worth millions of naira to his constituents in addition to making separate contributions to COVID-19 fundraising to the two local Government Areas that make up his constituency, the state, and governments respectively.
No sooner had the lockdown lifted than the Hon. member continued his empowerment programme when he distributed fertilizer to the executive committee (EXCO) members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in his constituency comprising two local government areas with 30 electoral wards with each ward comprising of 27 EXCO members.
The exercise saw each EXCO member taking home a bag of fertilizer.
Thereafter, Hon. Haruna Maitala turned attention to infrastructural development and put his lobbying power to play when he met with the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
It didn’t take time when the positive result of his lobbying power started manifesting as seen in the ongoing road rehabilitation along Jengre-Saminaka road.
The sudden commencement of the rehabilitation exercise prompted the Hon. Member to personally write a letter of appreciation to the Executive Director, East Operations of FERMA, Engr. Silas Buba.
Again, the construction of 3-kilometer rural roads would soon commence in some rural areas of his constituency.
Two weeks ago, Engrs Bulus and Nuhu from the rural development department of the Federal Ministry of agriculture were on the ground for on-the-spot assessment and survey, preparatory for the commencement of the exercise.
It is in the light of the above that pundits commended RATTAWU for its initiative.
Observers also applauded Maitala’s style of representation which is hinged on action rather than noise making.
