Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them – William Shakespeare
For those who have been close to, or interacted closely with the Yobe state Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, it is very convincing to assume that the famous 17th century English playwright, William Shakespeare, had Buni in mind while writing the play, Twelfth Night.
Buni, adequately fits into Shakespeare’s description of the above quotation. He had since early age, worked hard for greatness through enormous humility, large-hearted generosity, goodwill, and accommodation. At a later age, he had greatness thrust upon him to occupy various public offices including that of a governor and national chairman of Nigeria’s ruling party.
Since he was beckoned to serve over 30 years ago, Governor Buni had remained in the corridors of power with solid results, to the glory of humanity. Buni has always been sought after to serve in public offices, without him soliciting for such offices. True to the maxim, ‘the goldfish has no hiding place’.
At the youthful age of 20, he was elected into Gujba local government council to represent Buni Gari ward, and to the surprise and bewilderment of his folks and foes alike, he became the most powerful council leader (speaker) among the local government councils in the Old Borno state (comprising present day Borno and Yobe states).
Born on November 19, 1967, in the historic town of Buni-Gari to a merchant father, Mai Mala Buni started memorization of the Holy Quran under his parents before moving to other teachers and clerics as it was the tradition and culture of the people of the old Kanem-Bornu Empire. He was later enrolled into Buni-Gari Primary School, then moved to Government Secondary School Goniri. He is a graduate of International Relations.
His emergence at the national scene started when he was elected the first substantive National Secretary of Nigeria’s first-ever merger political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was, prior to that, and at various times, the state chairman of AC, ACN and APC. The success of APC defeating the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its sitting President, brought Governor Buni’s political sagacity and sophistication to bear and was unanimously returned for a second term of office as the national secretary of the ruling party.
Buni, described as Peace Ambassador is gifted with a rare character of tolerance, accommodation and uncommon humility. His faith and skill in dialogue, negotiation, and peaceful resolution of disputes and disagreements are down to earth and second to none. His character attracted him to both the old and new-bred politicians far and near from across the country and suddenly, Buni became a political colossus whose name traversed the length and breadth of Nigeria’s political space.
The election of Buni as Yobe state governor was unprecedented and convincing beyond an iota of doubt. It recorded a landslide victory. His success at the polls registered another history as the only governorship election that was never challenged in any court of law by other governorship candidates or the opposition political parties. It was generally accepted because a man of the people was elected as the governor of Yobe state.
Governor Buni combined the task of governance and party administration with diligence, outlining his priorities as a Governor and setting his target goals as a political party administrator to reposition the ailing APC. He worked round the clock at both the state level and the party headquarters, and thus, translating into record-breaking achievements at both levels. For the party, its once precarious destiny got reshaped while Yobe state recorded infrastructural revolution.
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. The State Teaching Hospital was upgraded to be in tune with changing times, making the Teaching Hospital one of the best in the country!
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 sterilisation 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.
Yobe state today provides World class medical treatment and is fast becoming a Medical tourism center, attracting patients from far and near to access efficient and affordable medical services.
It is a record breaking programme that Yobe state government under the Buni administration, is the first state in the Northeast sub-region to introduce the Healthcare Contributory scheme known as the Yobe State Contributory Health Management Agency (YOCHMA) and Yobe Drugs Management Agency (YODMA) to ensure adequate funding and availability of drugs for patients under the expanded free drugs programme of the state government covering pregnant women, children, victims of road accidents, the weak and aged, and other vulnerable persons.
Presently, there are over 400,000 beneficiaries enjoying the scheme. Yobe is the only state in the North with the highest employer-subsidy of the programme. The programme has been expanded to cover the weak, vulnerable, and indigent families.
To boost the morale of medical personnel in the health institutions, over 30 medical doctors, 2,000 graduates of the state-owned College of Nursing and Midwifery, and 50 graduates of the School of Health Technology were employed by the Buni administration. Similarly, Hospitals and Doctors quarters were given a face-lift to provide a conducive working environment in the health facilities.
The Buni administration is engaged in a holistic approach to health care delivery including prompt payment of counterpart funding that is paying off by making health care accessible and affordable to the people at their doorsteps. Little wonder Yobe state has become a medical tourist center to patients from the neighbouring states and indeed, beyond.
Yobe state’s participation in national healthcare activities is exemplary, this explains the outstanding performance of the state in the National immunisation exercises leading to receipt of the award of the best performing state.
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. The 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.
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).
The story of Nigeria’s democracy will be incomplete without the mention of Governor Mai Mala Buni. Buni’s institutionalisation of exemplary leadership and good governance which has transformed Yobe state justifies the greatness he has achieved, while APC’s rejuvenation and sustenance of leadership in Nigeria’s political space, justifies the thrust of greatness placed on him.
Happy birthday Your Excellency,
Happy birthday My Boss,
Happy birthday the Peoples’ Governor, Our pride!
Mamman DG, Press and Media Affairs to Governor Buni!
