To me, “silence is usually not only golden”, it is also the wisdom that has the power and ability to create wealth that can influence people positively. This is the power Dr. Ismaila Nuhu Maksha has – an Adamawa state silent achiever and a humanist who is passionate about supporting the less privileged and vulnerable.
Maksha is an achiever, a critical All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholder in Adamawa state; the party is fortunate to have him as an enigma unto good works. He worked for the success of the APC in many electioneering periods because he believes in the party’s manifesto and constitution on poverty alleviation and national development.
Maksha is a gift not only to APC but to the nation at large. He has been working tirelessly for the party at both the state and national levels. An unflinching loyalty he maintains and reserves for the party.
As a registered member of APC from the Gashaka polling unit in Hong local government area 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 APC’s success. This has earned him a good name which led to the formation of a volunteer support group (Dr. Maksha Support Group) with membership of over 7,000 spread across Hong and Gombi local government areas. He sustains 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 allegiance to the party, Maksha held several political meetings with various religious, youth, and community groups preparatory to the 2023 elections which garnered enormous votes for APC in his LGA, especially his Gashaka polling unit; Wuro- Dole, Fadama Rake, Bangshika, Dulchidama polling units even though the party lost.
Given his unwavering love for APC, Maksha has, without mincing words, paid his dues to be called for any national assignment and to serve the country at whatever level.
He is reputed for his 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 traits of good leadership. He struggles to give life to APC, the party he sojourned fighting tooth and nail to sustain its glorious future for Nigeria and 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 public health has taken him beyond the shores of Nigeria with previous long-term experience in clinical practice and health services management and administration. He is a member of the Federal Republic (MFR) bestowed on him by Mr President because of his selfless service to humanity in the medical field.
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, s Diploma in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Bachelors of Medicine and of Surgery (MB, BS) degree from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.
The prolific professional 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. 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 focus on the Whole of Syria operation.
He is 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).
As a national officer in UNICEF Nigeria-Bauchi Zonal Office, he visited virtually all the nooks and crannies of the six 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 conceptualised, 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 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 Zaria, Nigeria. He is a Nigerian, married for almost 32 years, 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 300 youths (mainly orphans) to finish their senior secondary schools and university through his NURAH Education Foundation scholarship pet project he established in 2004. Several youths, irrespective of state, tribe, and religion, have benefited tremendously from his goodwill through employment opportunities and entrepreneurial development.
Maksha retired 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’s 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 he 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 nation. Let all the anti-progress APC members understand that with or without any position Maksha remains a bona fide 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 incoming government of 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 Tinubu considers utilising the political sagacity of Maksha and his prowess in the field of medicine and management in his administration. Tinubu should ignore the blabbing noise of political haters.
Garba, FIMC, FBDFM, SPSP, a journalist, writes from Yola, Adamawa state via [email protected], 08172570959
