Mai Mala Buni: My Governor,  my brother  at 55

By Ibrahim Jirgi

I find it an honour and privilege to write this piece on the birthday of Mai Mala Buni, Yobe state Governor, a leader that holds much promise in keeping our state  focused and disciplined in the pursuit of  edifying goals and living with values that define the Northern character as a whole. 

As accurately described in a piece by, “at 55, Governor Buni is a success story. He is a celebration of life that has touched so many other lives positively. Like the goldfish that has no hiding place, Governor Buni has been identified, recognized and appreciated with several awards of Good Governance, Transparency and Accountability, Peace Ambassador and the National Honour of the Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).”

I particularly want to celebrate this moment with my brother and leader, Mai Mala Buni for his inspiring presence at all times and untiring efforts to keep the flames of our dedication to the interests of the people of Yobe and Nigeria alive.

It is important to place on record  the immeasurable gratitude of the people of Yobe to Governor Buni whose leadership, sacrifice, statesmanship, patriotism and unwavering commitment to the interests of the people of the state and citizens of Nigeria as a whole has few parallels today. 

At 55, Buni has molded himself into a passionate believer of the organic links between generations, always available for young people and the elderly and it is no exaggeration to say that the elders see him as a great statesman, but the youth celebrate him as a mentor, a guardian, a living history and an embodiment of all the exemplary qualities they should strive to achieve.

In particular,  a lot of young people draw inspiration from the life and works of Governor Buni and they strive, in all they do, to live by the personal and social values and standards he lives and set for himself as citizen, subject and leader.

He has grown to become a leader with an extensive political career who serves the country and the people of Yobe State with dedication, making very important contributions to the development of institutions and communities. 

Buni is a thoroughbred statesman determined to make the critical difference in the lives of the people he leads and who has so far, succeeded in building confidence across a wide spectrum of the social strata. 

A man of the people, Buni believes that governance ought to be a Ministry of Happiness; that political differences ought to be managed in order to pursue the greater good of society. 

Impressively,  Buni believes in local content: empowering indigenous Yobe contractors, building from within. Yobe prospered under him, although his detractors fail to appreciate the direction, meaning and focus of his brand of politics: namely, politics as a means of making society better, helping the people to live better lives.

For Mai Mala Buni,  it’s 55 years full of attainments and noble heights that loudly reverberates in his persona as one of Nigeria’s most gifted crisis managers of persuasions in contemporary times.

At 55, Buni is celebrated as a cerebral leader, politician, democrat, administrator, businessman, articulate manager of human and material resources, bridge builder, and governance expert.

Today, Governor Buni, Governor Buni, combining the task of governance and party administration with diligence, has outlined his priorities as a Governor and setting his target goals as a political party administrator to reposition the  All Progressives Congress, APC. His multisectoral development programme for Yobe covers all aspects of the People’s life. 

Health

To the glory of God, 138 out of the proposed 178 Primary Healthcare Centers have been completed, furnished, equipped and put to use. Six Primary Health centers are now upgraded to General Hospitals while Four General Hospitals were also upgraded to Specialists Hospitals. 

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The State Teaching Hospital was upgraded to be in tune with changing times, making the Teaching Hospital one of the best in the country! boasting of adequate manpower and state-of-the-art machines.

The aspiration of Yobe state government under the Governor Mai Mala Buni administration to curb the unacceptable rate of maternal, newborn and under-5 child mortality in the state; is graduating from a dream to solid reality, with the completion of the construction of the  Maternity, Paediatrics and Newborn Complex, at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital, Damaturu.

Building Nigeria’s largest Maternal and Child Healthcare Complex

The Buni administration has constructed Nigeria’s largest maternal and child care complex. The structure has been completed and is now being equipped for inauguration by President Muhammadu Buhari. 

The structure is made up of seven blocks of one storey complex with patient-friendly spaces in accordance with the global best practice in modern maternal, Newborn and Paediatric health care as obtained in advanced countries. 

The architectural masterpiece would satisfactorily take care of expectant/nursing mothers, their newborn babies as well as children in general. 

The Obstetrics and Gynaecology wing of the Complex has 64 Open cubicles, five Call duty rooms, five satellite pharmacies, one side Laboratory and four Nurses’ stations.

The Special Baby Care Unit (SCBU) has three adjoining generously spacious and nicely done wards that is 28 baby cots wards for newborn babies suspected of sepsis, 10 newborn cots wards for out-born babies, and 10 newborn baby cots wards for In-born babies, four Nurses’ stations, 10-bedspace room/unit for their nursing mother. 

In addition, there is a 10-bed space room for nursing mothers to breastfeed their newborn babies, five Doctor’s rest/Call duty rooms, five nurses’ rest/change rooms, five offices for the unit Matron in charge, four additional offices for health information management/documentation, seminar room, a library and with Kitchen and stores.

The Labour ward and obstetrics theatre units; have provision for four operation suites (including attached sterilization and scrubbing area, six recovery rooms, additional offices for anesthetics perioperative nurses, other theatre support staff, males and females change rooms, common room for staff on duty,   seminar and computer rooms.

The Paediatric medical ward has 40 cubicles, four call rooms, four side labs and a satellite Pharmacy.

Similarly, the Emergency Paediatrics Unit has 32 bed space cubicles (including a resuscitation cubicle), 2 doctor’s call duty room, a side laboratory, nurses’ station, change room, satellite pharmacy and eight staff offices.

Apart from the gigantic MNCH Complex the Yobe State Government under the able and dynamic leadership of Hon Mai Mala Buni CON has constructed a modern 150-bed capacity isolation center with a state-of-the-art Public Health Laboratory at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital Damaturu.

In line with Governor Buni’s policy of providing standard and functional health facilities at all levels, state-of-the-art equipment are being installed at the center to provide all the necessary healthcare services to mother and child, to effectively curb the menace of maternal and child mortality in the state.

Meanwhile, a 32 apartment block of officers quarters has been constructed at State Teaching Hospital to build upon the already existing housemanship programme at the Yobe State Specialist Hospital Damaturu.

Education

The Buni administration rehabilitated existing schools and established six modern and seven Mega schools to decongest schools, procured books and laboratory equipment worth billions of Naira, employed more teachers, trained and re-trained more teachers to enhance manpower to improve quality of education in the state. Government is sponsoring over 220 students to India, and many others in various institutions across the globe studying specialised courses.

 Airport

The Buni regime has completed the state-owned international Cargo airport which it inherited at skeletal stage. It is now ready for commissioning. It also initiated and constructed four modern markets to create conducive environment for trade and commerce for economic development, resuscitated three dormant industries, provided women and youth empowerment initiatives for self-employment, constructed 2,300 housing units the largest housing intervention since the creation of the state. 

Roads and Electrification

Numerous township and inter- town roads have been constructed to facilitate movement of goods and services. Government has also provided 133 communities with electricity supply to make life better for the benefitting communities. Today, there has been an increase in self-employment and economic empowerment in the benefitting communities.

Agriculture

The Yobe state government under the able leadership of Governor Buni is transforming agriculture from subsistence farming to commercial based agriculture through provision of inputs and implements.

It is indeed gratifying that the Buni administration is rated by independent Budget monitors as one the best in Nigeria in Capital Budget Expenditure, and prompt in payment of workers’ salaries and the best performing state in due process, transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business.

This is wishing our amiable Governor a happy birthday at 55 and prayer for more blissful years ahead.

***Jirgi,  a journalist, is Managing Director, Tripple CEE

Mai Mala Buni: My Governor,  my brother  at 55