A Group known as Coalition of Vanguards for Change and Good Governance has called on the Member representing Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency to honorably resign on account of abysmal performance and representation.

The group said the Federal constituency has continued to be bedeviled with numerous challenges to which, the Rep member chose to remain mute and unperturbed.

Below is their full text;

PRESS STATEMENT
COALITION OF VANGUARDS FOR CHANGE AND GOOD GOVERNANCE

Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the Press.

My fellow constituents, following the 2019 general elections, which brought in Hon. Haruna Maitala to the leadership seat and representing the good people of Jos-North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the Green Chambers of the National Assembly.
Shockingly, for over 300 days now since he has being sworn in as the representative of the good people of Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, the constituency has continued to be bedeviled with numerous challenges to which, the Rep member chose to remain mute and unperturbed.

In view of the copious public outcry, we as Coalition of Vanguards for Change and Good Governance have been inundated by the good people of Jos North and Bassa with numerous questions which are begging for answers.
To begin with: “Where is Hon. Haruna Maitala?” This question came into bear immediately after his swearing-in, as not long after the ceremony, he went into hibernation and literarily made his office Constitutionally Vacant.

From what we have gathered so far, for over 300 days now, Hon. Maitala has been absent from plenaries, not to talk of sponsoring Motions or Bills on the floor of the House to help tackle the challenges his people are bedeviled with in this perilous times, occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We challenge the Honourable Member to avail us with a single Motion or Bill he has personally sponsored within 2019 to date.
Secondly and in sync with the facts above, Hon. Maitala’s absence at plenaries has negatively affected the entire Constituency. In Bassa L.G, the level of insecurity has led to the destruction of lives and properties via incessant attacks on natives and residents of that L.G. It has also negatively affected the cultivation of farm produce, which has a direct impact on the livelihood of his constituents and a rippling effect on the economy of the State.

What is more worrisome is that, while these anomalies are taking place, Hon. Maitala chose to remain dormant, not a single day did Hon. Maitala voiced out his displeasures at the national level nor locally, as we have seen his vibrant colleagues do, such as Hon. Ahmed Wase, Hon. BeniLar, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, Hon. Dachung Bagos, and Hon. Simon Mwadkwon.
His inactiveness has robbed the good people of his constituency of enjoying the dividends of democracy and equal representation, such as employment, projects, etc.

Sadly, his colleagues from neighboring constituencies are the ones presenting his constituency’s case in the Green Chamber/
Despite calls, letters and press statements from groups, associations, forums, organizations, individuals etc. publicly and privately issued by constituents to get his attention, all efforts were made an exercise in futility, as none produced any result.
Going further, you will agree with me that, Hon. Maitala has failed in carrying out his responsibilities, as a federal house of representatives member, representing the great Jos-North /Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State in the Green Chambers. If a legislator’s sole responsibility is to legislate and represent his people, the questions now would be; what has Hon. Maitala legislated about and on whose behalf? What motions is he presenting and moving and to whose benefit? What deliberation and debate on issues of national interest/importance is he engaging in and for whose interest? What information about Jos-North/ Bassa Federal Constituency is he giving the Green Chambers, when his constituents do not even know what he looks like?

Is Hon. Maitala really representing his constituents? Where is his constituency office? How many times, if ever, does he invite his people to brainstorm on local issues affecting his constituents?

Furthermore, constituents of Jos North Bassa could not place, which oversight function committee, Hon. Maitala belong to and how far he has gone in carrying out his oversight functions actively, as his other colleagues do? The question therefore still remains, “Where is Hon. Haruna Maitala?”

Statistically, close to 800 houses have been destroyed, over 500 people have been killed and more than 10 cultivated hectares of land have been destroyed, cutting across various Chiefdoms in Bassa L.G. This act has been a frequent routine right in the domain of Hon. Maitala, yet, he remained mute to it and the people are left alone to count and mourn their loss.

Comparatively, other representatives from other vulnerable zones in the country such as Bassa, would lobby for relief materials/palliatives for the affected victims, to serve as succor for what has been taken and destroyed and also as a means of augmenting their livelihood, but the absence of Hon. Maitala in such deliberative functions of the legislature has kept the constituency in total darkness and out of the Green Chambers’ radar, which evidently proves that the sanctity of life means nothing to him and whether or not his constituents feel the better part of governance is obviously not his concern.

Recently, information got out, as his supposed pictures showcasing his alleged illness hit several Social Media platforms; possibly as a way of putting up a defense for the questions his constituents have been asking.
Democracy suffers because, the rules are mostly broken.

Considering its active nature and the politics surrounding it as a game; this requires that all players must remain fit and strong so as not to hold the people to ransom.
Hon. Maitala should take into consideration the constituency he is representing with the reasoning that it is a very sensitive constituency that needs the proactiveness of any government at any level and so his ill state if true, should compel him to act as a democratic patriot and consciously resign his position, as the member representing Jos-North/ Bassa Federal Constituency in the Green Chambers on grounds of incapacitation.
Hon. Maitala should also learn from Francis R. Shunk; Pennsylvanian Governor, who resigned his office in July 9th 1848, after contracting tuberculosis.

Similarly, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Japanese longest serving Prime Minister, in 2020, resigned as the Prime Minister due to illness. Chief Justice of the United States of America, Oliver Ellsworth even while in office negotiating the convention of 1800 had to resign due to ill health. In the sane vane, Hussein Onn; Malaysian Prime Minister also resigned due to poor health as well as the Bolivian President Hugo Banzer Suarez who resigned due to ill health in 2001 and many others whom are democratic patriots that put first the interest of their people. All these political office holders resigned while on active service.

Although the Hon. Member clearly knows that, he can’t win another election, he has chose to remain unperturbed by the concerns of his people.

We call on Hon. Maitala to do the honourable act expected of him to resign from office, as we remain absolutely resolute and determined ( armed with the 1999 constitution and the voice of the constituents) to invoke the necessary constitutional provisions, which the Honourable member has clearly violated.
We would at this juncture conclude by calling on all constituents of Jos-North/Bassa to come together irrespective of tribe, political party and religious affiliations to stand against this ineffective representation of Hon. Haruna Maitala and join the Coalition of Vanguards for Change and Good Governance in the movement to recall him on the grounds of POOR REPRESENTATION.

God bless the good people of Jos-North/Bassa Federal Constituency,
God bless Plateau State,
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Sign
Godkows Richard
For Coalition of Vanguard for change and good governance

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Group Calls for Resignation of Rep. Haruna Maitala Over Poor Representation