In Nigeria, what seems to be a major inhibition to the growth and development of the country and fostering the needed unity in our diversity is the unfortunate deficiency in patriotism, obligation, and fairness glaringly existing leaders and the led. In serious nations, leaders are setting the stage and examples for others to follow. Thus, proving leadership by example!
In so many instances, while the feeble trust between the two destined partners, leaders and the followers is fast becoming eroded and windswept, there are silent few among the leadership that have been practically changing the narratives and building trust between the twosomes.
Mai Mala Buni, the Yobe state governor and former caretaker chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, is a model of a creation of a hero out of ruptures. He aptly fits into the description of servant leadership, unlike his contemporaries who come into power to essentially amass wealth and gratify their ego; Buni is simply in a position of leadership to serve his people.
Today, without prejudice to all his predecessors, Yobe is witnessing a purposeful leadership for the first time in its history of creation in 1991 when it was carved out from Borno state by the then military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Frankly, the state was just wearing a face of desert even after it attains statehood because the previous leaders did little or nothing to transform the state, especially when the states were collecting huge funds from the federation account.
Governor Buni who emerged the state leadership at a time when the whole were battling economic crisis including the major economies, is able to formulate workable strategies to liberate the state – projects that were never expected have been put in place by his administration in just less than four years.
In Yobe state, apart from the prevailing challenges posed by the menace of Boko Haram insurgency for more than a decade, the state has been hit by other natural disasters and humanitarian crisis even before the advent of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic and other economic miseries, but Governor Buni was able transformed the state and better the lives of its citizens.
Though, this piece isn’t tally Governor Buni’s remarkable and unprecedented feats in Yobe state, but it’s pertinent to outline few to buttress some of his sterling qualities that stands him tall among his equals, especially his predecessors.
In education sector, Governor Buni has reeled out policies and strategies that have significantly reversed the gory face of the system. The launching of the N25 billion Yobe State education appeal fund was to reposition the sector and avail Yobe children, particularly the indigent ones, and the opportunity to go to school. The administration has constructed and renovated over 300 schools, established six (6) model schools and seven mega schools across the state.
Also, hundreds of Yobe state indigenes are currently studying various courses in different universities abroad and to the lift the standard of education in the state, the administration has trained and retrained about 10,000 teachers to improve their capacity on teaching methodology to impact knowledge and skills efficiently and effectively.
Like in the education sector, health, commerce and industry, agricultural and other critical sectors of the economy have received the needed attention from the Buni administration.
In order not to deviate from the crux of this article, I’ll tardy the article on chronicling Buni’s feats in different sectors, the recent display of empathy by the governor for providing house accommodations to all the three wives of the late Shiekh Goni Aisami who was killed by two military men on his way to return to the state from Kano.
Buni, care, concern, and commitment towards the welfare of his people is makes him moving while his political adversaries are watching helplessly. The gesture is an uncommon quality which if all our leaders have; the virtually despondent common man will have hope and faith for his better future. In Yobe state, anybody contesting against Governor Buni in 2023, he’s doing that on his own peril, his humiliating defeat is certain.
Musa writes from Kaduna
