From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Emir of Biu, in Borno State, Alhaji Mustapha Umar Mustapha lI, and other eminent personalities in the state, at the weekend expressed support for the re-election bid of the chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Muktar Betara.
Batara, who at the Emir’s palace to present to him the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination forms obtained for him by his constituents in 
 Biu/Bayo/Kwaya/Kusar/Shani Federal Constituency of Borno State, which he currently represents was received by a mammoth crowd.
The Emir, while describing the support for the lawmaker, noted that this was the first time constituents were mobilizing fund to obtain nomination for a politician. The monarch said Betara has affected the lives of his constituents positively.
He expressed optimism that the lawmaker would emerge speaker of the 10th House, if re-elected into the parliament, so as to in position to do more for his constituents and the country at large.
Similarly, former deputy governor  of Borno State,  Adamu Yuguda Dibal,  said the people of  Biu/Bayo/Kwaya/Kusar/Shani Federal Constituency decided to buy the nomination form for Betara because of his purposeful representation.
According to him, “We are witnessing something that has never happened in Borno State in terms of politics. It has happened here in Biu. In order words, amongst the constituents of Hon Betara based on what we have seen and what he has been able to achieve for us, the community themselves decided to say thank you.
“So they decided to contribute some token and purchase the form for him. What is interesting is that he was not even aware. We decided to start contributing the money when he was on Hajj. So we had people that contributed even as little N20 for the form because of what we had seen. So we opened the account and in less than 24 hours we got more than N130 million and the form was just N10 million.
“We said based on that he should not pick the form in Abuja, but we should come and present it to him here and that is why we are here. We presented the form in front of His Royal Highness and of course all the elders.”
Betara, who was first elected into the House in 2007, in his response, expressed appreciation to the people for their kind gesture. The lawmaker stated that since his election into the parliament, he has remain committed to the development of his constituency and constituents.