10th NASS: Give us Betara as Speaker, Tinubu Support Groups beg APC

As the jostling for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly continues ahead of time, a group under the umbrella of the Network of Tinubu Support Groups in Nigeria has appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC), to back the member representing Biu/Bayo/Shani Federal Constituency, Hon Muktar Aliyu Betara, for the position of a Speaker in the House of Representatives.

The group, which made the appeal Sunday in Abuja, maintained that Betara is the most competent returning lawmaker with an unblemished track record of excellence, integrity and diligence.

In his address, the President of the group, Dr Moses Ikani, described the renowned accountant as a resourceful parliamentarian who is familiar with the challenges inherent in the leadership of the legislature.

Ikani noted that Betara has excelled in all tasks in the National Assembly since 2007, unrivalled in experience, capacity and performance with a well-crafted agenda to address the plethora of challenges restraining the House of Representatives.

He said: “Gentlemen, as things stand now, Nigeria needs a crop of new leaders, especially at the legislative arm of government which section 80-84 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 vested the power and control of public funds as representatives of the people.”

Adding: “The legislature is a key democratic institution for political representation. So, to fix Nigeria, we will have to tweak some of its working parts by separating the gold diggers and power thirsty from those who truly want to serve at this level of leadership. To accomplish this is to do away with mediocrity and clannish interest.

“Every true nation must have a sense of purpose that subsumes all sub-national interest. We are yet to identify or define what our national raison deter is. Until it is more beneficial to be Nigerian than to be Ibo, Hausa, Efik or Yoruba, we will continue to suffer nepotism and misallocation of national resources.

“However, amid this seeming hopelessness in our polity, we found a highly resourceful parliamentarian in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly who is familiar with the challenges inherent in leadership at the Nigerian legislative arm of government. He is Rt. Hon Muktar Aliyu Betara, member representing Biu/Bayo/Shwa and Kwaya Kusar Federal constituency in Borno State.

“By our assessment, he did quite well, extremely well, taking into account the challenges – the enormity of challenges faced by the 9th National Assembly shortly after the inauguration in 2019 when he was unanimously elected as Chairman, of the House standing committee on appropriation.

He further described Batera as one individual whose capacity to complement the actions and policies of the executive as Speaker of the House of Representatives would expeditiously guarantee the much-needed turnaround of Nigeria.

“A detribalised and cosmopolitan persona, Rt Hon Muktar Batera is experienced as a team player whose contribution to nation-building has been applauded within and outside this country.

According to Ikani, “Batera is a performer with well-crafted agenda to address the plethora of challenges restraining the House of Representatives from performing optimally as a major institution of democratic governance.

“He has been rated one of the most successful members of the 9th Assembly in terms of parliamentary activities, and this success story resonated with his immediate federal constituency where his effective representation at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly is felt directly.

“He has proven that his foray into politics is solely service to humanity hence his towering popularity amongst members of the National Assembly.”

He added that Batera was true, a servant leader in every ramification.

“To this end, we present a true and dependable Nigerian in the person of Batera to you as the most astute and capable parliamentarian in the 10th National Assembly (green Chamber) to assume the position of Speaker for the House and all Nigerians”, Akani said.