Mai Mala Buni: The Unsung Hero

By: Ibrahim Jirgi

The universal definition of unsung hero is a person who has achieved great things or committed acts of bravery or self-sacrifice, yet is not celebrated or recognized. An unsung hero may be someone who acts bravely in battle without notice, or someone who sacrifices himself for the good of the group, without recognition.Situating the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni in this context, one sees a simple young man leading aa state through and out of a decade of devastating conflict into flourish.Largely unsung, Mai Mala Buni has recorded giant strikes in every developmental sector in the state he governs, though noiselessly.

Buni’s numerous achievements in Yobe that can be seen and felt remained however largely unsung until President Muhammadu’s recent visit to commission some of them. The President himself was elated as he was taken round the projects undertaken by Governor Buni across the state.President Buhari was so excited by the level of development he saw in Yobe that he could not help commending and recommending the Buni model at his next port of, Katsina State, the same week.They included the Damaturu ultra-modern market, Maternal and Child Health Complex at the Yobe State Teaching Hospital, the 2600 Housing Estate in Potiskum and the Damaturu Mega School at new Bra-Bra. 

Others were the ultra-modern State Command Headquarters, the Police Tertiary Hospital and access roads, and Police Secondary School.These are just a few of the physical projects executed by Governor Buni that Buhari was able to commission in the short time available for his visit. Physical infrastructure aside, Buni has recorded gigantic achievements in the area of human development involving educational uplifting, training, empowerment of youth and women and skills acquisition. 

Just recently for instance, Governor Buni approved the employment of 2,670 Degree, Diploma and NCE holders to provide graduates with job opportunities, and to fill existing gaps required for efficient service delivery in the state.The breakdown of the beneficiaries include 890 University Degree graduates, 890 Higher National Diploma and National Diploma holders, and 890 National Certificate of Education graduates.

The beneficiaries were drawn across the 178 political wards of the 17 local government councils.Thus the Buni government has provided all parts of the state with equal opportunity and sense of belonging and ownership of governance.Three years after he was  sworn in as governor, Buni has been untiringly creating, restructuring, and reshaping the education sector of the state, and his projects have taken Yobe to another great level of excellent achievements from the basic to the higher levels. 

In this regard, Buni has introduced various educational plans, scholarship programs, rehabilitation of school buildings, teachers’ welfare, and other standard implementations.He came up with a plan to build modern schools around the state. He began with the projects of model primary schools in the areas of Buni Yadi, Damaturu, Geidam, and Potiskum local governments. The schools were built with modern academic standards. 

Each school has 48 well-furnished classrooms, 12 staff rooms, and several computers for E-learning and other facilities as a means of revamping the educational status of Yobe State.Buni has also focused on school feeding programs by disbursing billions of naira to support students’ meals, this serves the aim of encouraging children to be punctual and concentrate more on their studies. 

On top of that, it also serves as an element to draw the attention of those out-of-school children to get enrolled in school. The school feeding program has helped thousands of pupils fight malnutrition and drastically reduced the number of out-of-school children in the state, if not eliminated.Similarly, the Governor has carefully looked at the welfare of teachers by ensuring stable payment of their salaries and promoting them based on their dedication. 

Most of the teachers from the public schools have shared positive reviews on the receipt of adequate welfare, which encourages them to teach the pupils diligently. The Governor’s performance on promotion is another key role in revamping education in Yobe because every staff member faces equal treatment.Buni went ahead with school renovation, from basic to higher institutions. 

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The projects which commenced across all the local government areas of Yobe State have led to reforms in the outlook of the most dreaded buildings, learning facilities, accommodation, and other academic amenities needed to carry out educational programs.Basic education has benefited from the rebuilding and transformation of school projects and from looking after the well-being of teachers. 

Most of the schools with old buildings and excessive need for facilities benefited from the rebuilding projects all over the state. The teaching materials were also provided with enough space in buildings to accommodate thousands of students, for the essence of outgrowing education status in Yobe State.

The idea of reforming schools by the Buni administration is to change the system of education in Yobe and to bring about a new development policy of drawing back the minds of young children and their parents to get them enrolled in schools with a good standard of teaching and learning for a better future.

At the higher levels, Buni, has displayed an unbeatable performance in various institutions of the state. He provides new departmental buildings at Yobe State University, construction of laboratory rooms, lecture rooms, and roads in Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, Damaturu, and similar projects in higher education fields.

Furthermore, there was a scholarship provided by the governor for 233 indigenous students of Yobe State to Glocal University in India, and hence to other countries such as Russia, England, and others. The scholarship program is to promote the system of education in Yobe State and acquire professional courses for helping people.Also, Buni has ordered the massive employment of 2,670 teachers with a Diploma in NCE, and Degree certificates with the number of unemployed graduates drastically reduced across the state.

In the field of politics, Buni as National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress, has without doubt succeeded in reviving, energizing and repositioning  the party for victory in future elections.Under Buni, the fortunes of the party has been brightened by the re-organisation and reconciliation of members across the party, so that adding with the work done by the Buni committee, the party has bounced back to life.He was able to achieve this feat in the face of multiple crisis that engulfed the party leading to litigations and presenting a picture of selfishness and division.

***Jirgi, a journalist and Managing Director, Triple Cee Media, writes from Abuja.

Mai Mala Buni: The Unsung Hero