By Philip Yatai

The Moro’a Development Association (MDA) of Asholio people in Kaura Local Government Area, Kaduna State, has described the death of Mr Barnabas Bala-Bantex as a “huge loss” to Moro’a Chiefdom.

Bala-Bantex, the immediate- past deputy governor to Gov. Nasir El-Rufai, died in Abuja on Sunday, at the age of 64, after a protracted illness.

The association, in a statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna, said that Bala-Bantex would be greatly missed for his contributions to the development of the chiefdom  the state and the nation.

The statement was jointly signed by its National President, Dr Jolly Laah, National Youth Leader, Mr Jerry Bonet and National Women Leader, Mrs Anne Woji.

The association said that, it would be difficult to outline the massive contributions of the deceased to the growth and development of the Asholio people in Moro’a Chiefdom.

It described Bala-Bantex as a “charismatic goal-getter politician, a philanthropic, a grassroot mobilizer and a visionary leader”, worthy of emulation.

The group noted that the deceased gave hope to the hopeless in Asholio community through various philanthropic initiatives that improved the wellbeing of the people.

According to the association, the deceased had served his community, local government area, Kaduna State, and the nation very well in different capacities.

“He was at the constitutional conference in 1994; Secretary General of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, 1995 and President, MDA in 1996.

“Bala-Bantex also served as the Executive Chairman of Kaura LGA between 1997 and 2002 and went further to represent Kaura Federal Constituency at the National Assembly between 2007 and 2011.

“He equally served as a Deputy Governor of Kaduna State between 2015 and 2019.

“These, among many other contributions to the development of our dear community, the state and the nation, made him a household name in every part of the State,” the Association said.