By; TOM GARBA
As they say, “silence is golden”, to me it’s not only golden, it is the wisdom that has the power and the ability to create affluence and wealth that can influence people positively. This is the power Dr. Ismaila Nuhu Maksha got, an Adamawa State silent achiever and a humanist who is passionate about supporting the less privileged and the downtrodden.
Maksha is an achiever, a critical All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholder in Adamawa State the party is fortunate to have as an enigma unto good works.
He worked out success in many electioneering periods in the interest of the party because he believes in the party manifestos and constitution as a platform for poverty alleviation and National development.
Maksha is a brainy gift not only to APC but to the nation at large, he has worked and still working for the party at both the National and state levels. An unflinching loyalty he maintains and reserved for the party system.
As a registered member of APC from the Gashaka polling unit in Hong LGA, of Adamawa State, Dr Maksha has grassroots verifiable contributions for the development of the party.
He provided the Local Government, Thilbang ward party offices and his APC Youth supporters group offices with chairs, which is to show his high level of allegiance and belief for the party right at the grassroots.
As a major stakeholder of the party in his ward, this humble and God Fearing politician has contributed generously to ensure success, this earned him a good name with led to the formation of a volunteer support group (Dr. Maksha Support Group) with a registered members numbering about seven thousand spread within Hong and Gombi LGAs, sustaining the group with his resources to campaign for APC. He donated new motorcycles for the APC campaign even though he was not directly looking for a political post.
Because of his steadfast allegiance to the party, Maksha held several political meetings with various religious, youth, and community groups preparatory to the election which garnered the votes for APC in his LGA, especially his Gashaka Polling unit; Wuro- Dole, Fadama Rake, Bangshika, Dulchidama polling units even though the party lost.
His unwavering love for APC Maksha is without mincing words to say that he has paid his dues to be called for any national assignment and to serve the country at whatever level.
He is recognized for his staunch political consistency and beliefs in the rule of law, justice, and fairness. It is beyond question that he is another beacon of hope, a glorious flying horse for APC.
A trailblazer with all the threads of good leadership. Giving life to APC, the party he sojourned fighting tooth and nail to sustain its glorious future for Nigeria and all Nigerians.
Beyond Political records of building his party, the humble, tranquil, optimistic, and very kind to all those who come his way. Dr. Maksha is an ace Public Health Practitioner.
His dazzling skill in the field of Public Health has taken him beyond the shores of Nigeria as a seasoned Public Health practitioner with previous long-term experience in clinical practice and Health Services Management and Administration.
He earned the Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) honor because of his selfless service to humanity in the medical line.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants/Chartered Management Consultant (FIMC/CMC) and holds a Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH -Health Services Management) from the University of London and; Diploma in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB, BS) degree from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.
The excellent Man recently retired from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) after over 22 years of service in different capacities as Regional Health in Emergency Specialist with the UNICEF Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Office in Jordan.
Where he provided professional support in the areas of Human Rights Based Programming in health and emergencies ensuring quality preparedness, response, and prevention of Public Health Emergencies and oversight to 16 MENA countries (Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, State of Palestine, Jordan, Djibouti, including those in L3 emergencies with a specific focus on the Whole of Syria operation.
Also, as a Health Specialist (Health Systems Strengthening and Partnerships), Project Officer of Health and Nutrition, Immunization Specialist, and Project Officer of Primary Health Care and Disease Control at the National (Nigeria) and international levels (Liberia, Sierra Leone, and MENA).
Adamawa CSO creates awareness on good governance
As a national Officer in UNICEF Nigeria-Bauchi Zonal Office, he has visited virtually all the nooks and crannies of the 6 States in the North East and is very familiar with the Challenges of the terrain in addition to working in other States in the zonal office including Kano.
He pioneered the use of Photovoltaic Solar Refrigerators for vaccine storage jointly with the Engineering Department of ATBU in 1997. He won the Best Project Officer prize in the Health Program for the UNICEF -Nigeria Country Office for the Year 2001.
As an international officer, he worked in the Liberia Country office to respond to the Humanitarian crisis situation as the Section Chief for Health (including EPI, HIV/AIDS, and WES) and Nutrition. He got a commendation note from the then Executive director UNICEF for his role in negotiating peace corridor with rebel groups for a mass measles vaccination during the humanitarian crisis.
In Sierra Leone he was on the team that was responsible for post humanitarian conflict and recovery response and the UNICEF Country office health emergency focal point and technical coordinator for the Ebola Viral Disease (EVD) outbreak in 2014 during which he conceptualized, and presented the three days ‘lock down’ response strategies that won the presidential and Health partners (including major donors) approval for the implementation and is a proud holder of UNICEF staff award letter to that effect.
In Nigeria, he has worked at all levels of primary, secondary, and tertiary Health institutions as a clinical medical practitioner, and hospital administrator including supervising a 600-bed capacity referral hospital where he supervised over 500 staff including specialist consultants, and as public health director in Gongola/Adamawa State. He also has a long experience in the area of Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health and was an honorary Registrar in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Nigeria. He is a Nigerian, married for almost 32years, and has children and grandchildren and a very committed Christian.
In and outside Adamawa Many young people who have faith in Maksha have long yearned for him to be part of a system. Before now he has sponsored over three hundred Youths (Mainly Orphans) to finish their Senior secondary schools and University through his NURAH Education Foundation scholarship pet project he established since 2004. Several youths irrespective of State, Tribe, and Religion have benefited tremendously from his goodwill through employment opportunities and entrepreneurial development.
Maksha took early retirement from international civil service with UNICEF to return and serve his nation in any way possible, and offered his professional services pro-bono during the Corona outbreak with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) he joined APC not because he wanted a position or a job but because he believed in the party agenda for change.
It is utterly inconceivable that a man like Maksha because of a political feud among the APC family in Adamawa to utterly say is not a member of the party. These are some of the sentiments that hinder growth in the nation’s economy and its polity. This Man has given so much to the growth and development of APC and the nationa. Let all the anti-progress APC members understand that with or without any position Maksha remains a bonafide member of APC because this is his political face as a starter in partisan politics.
This is also to say that with such affinity and allegiance to APC, Dr Maksha is another good Nigerian that the present government of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu should bring on board to help in having an effective and progressive administration. As such, it is only fitting that the incoming President considers utilizing the political sagacity of Maksha and his prowess in the Field of Medicine and management in his administration and ignores the blabbing noise of political haters.
Tom Garba, FIMC, FBDFM, SPSP
Is a Journalist, a political analyst, and an opinion writer. He writes from Yola-Adamawa State. He can be reached through these means:
tomgarba7@gmail.com
08172570959
