Ahead of the appointment of members of the House of Representatives as members and chairpersons of various committees about one year ago, the Speaker, Mr Femi Gbajamila, made it clear that it would not be business as usual. In other words, Honourable members won’t be picked based on ethnic, regional or connection or any other such considerations. Instead, factors such as merit, experience, capability and competence would determine who will be appointed into which committee. This would be done with a view to ensuring that square pegs are put in square holes in line with the new 9th House of Representatives leadership’s resolve to carve a niche as dynamic, visionary patriotic and selfless servants of the people.
Doing so would be relatively easy in an absolute respect but not so easy in other respect, particularly when it comes to the chairmanship of some key committees. Take the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, for example. Bearing in mind the fact that funds must be allocated for each and every project or service before such can be executed, it goes without saying that having a dependable Committee on Appropriations would make a significant difference. As such, it is imperative to pick not just any Representative but one who the cap would really fit, for the chairmanship of this all-important committee.
A couple of lawmakers were considered for leadership of the committee, but one name stood out like an iroko tree from the group: Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara. The more the Speaker and other House leaders scrutinized the list of contenders for the position, the more it dawned on them that although each of the “candidates” was a leader in his or her own right, Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara is first among equals. Come to think of it, the gentleman’s track record of performance and industry is second to none. In the eyes of the Honourable Speaker and his colleagues, if any Representatives can do a terrific job as Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara is it. Hence, there was no hesitation in picking him accordingly.
Did the foregoing come to many people as a surprise? No; to those who know Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara before he won election into the House of Representatives to represent Biu/Bayo/Shani/Kwaya Kusar Federal Constituency, his managerial and leadership qualities have never ever been doubted. In fact, it was based this and his heart of gold which endeared him into people’s hearts and on account of his contributions to development and progress of the land of his birth, that they voted massively for him in the year 2007.
Obvious highly impressed with his performance at the National Assembly coupled with the help he never tired of rendering to the people of his constituency every now and then, they decided to ensure his re-election in 2011. Following this, he served as a member of the House Representatives Committee on Public Accounts and also House Representatives Committee Special Duties. In the same vein, he was Chairman of the House Representatives Committee on Army.
Many can still vividly recall how Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara, who was born on November 22, 1966, in Wayo town, Biu local government of Borno state, handled his duty as Chairman of the House Representatives Committee on Army so well that he received plaudits from his colleagues and the military on account of the fact that he not only ensured that the welfare of soldiers was given priority; he helped ensured that the military maintain a harmonious relationship with civilians, more so as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria obliges the Army to be respectful of civilian authority. This continued until 2015 when he contested another election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It is said that the prize for doing a job fantastically well is to be given more work. And, not surprisingly, this is how it has been in the case of the legendary legislator from Biu. He was appointed Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence in 2015 and was subsequently made Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations after his fourth consecutive victory in 2019.
Dynamic, hardworking, proactive, and indefatigable, Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara has never looked back. Rather than rest on his laurel, he redoubled his efforts. Rather than reasoning that haven made his mark as a lawmaker since 2007 he should take his foot off the accelerator for some time, he has continued to serve with renewed vigour.
Ask any of his colleagues at the National Assembly, and he or she would regale you with the impressive array of quality contributions that Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara has made over the years in general, and the remarkable way and manner he has been piloting the affairs of the Appropriations Committee since his appointment as its Chairman last year in particular. In the same vein, inquire from any of the citizens of Biu/Bayo/Shani/Kwaya Kusar Federal Constituency, and he or she would not think twice before regaling you with a long list of what their man at the House of Representatives has been doing for them year after year. These include finding employment opportunities for a number of them, awarding a scholarship to students, giving a helping hand to the poor and vulnerable in cash and kind, distributing empowerment items to the people to enable them to be self-reliant, and helping to ensure a number of constituency projects are located in the constituency.
What manner of a man is Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara? What makes him tick? What motivates him to march confidently into areas which many of his peers are too scared to venture? What inspires him to serve his people selflessly, never expecting anything in return and hardly ever bowing to what is called donor fatigue? Why has he remained his ever-humble self despite the high position he has been occupying for over a decade now? Perhaps a brief perusal of his background will give an insight into these and related posers.
Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara attended Biu Central Primary School where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1978. From there he proceeded to Biu Central Primary School and later Government Technical Secondary School, where bagged his Senior Secondary School Certificate in 1983. To keep aflame his quest for higher knowledge, he went to the famous Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri and graduated with a National Diploma in Business Administration in 1992. Rather than look back or remain satiated with his laurel, he enrolled at Ramat Polytechnic for his Higher National Diploma (HND) which he bagged with flying colours.
A member of the Institute of Cost Management (ICM), Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara kept himself busy with his work subsequently. By this time, philanthropic efforts had caught the attention of the people in Biu and beyond who prevailed on him to run for a National Assembly seat. For Honourable Muktar Aliyu Betara being in government would give him the opportunity to serve the people. Truly so. His litany of achievements since 2007 has carved a niche for himself as a veritable man of the people.
