Dissecting Dividend of Democracy in Yobe

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By Editorial Board
June 9, 2021, 2:53 p.m.

Yobe state, Governor Mai Mala Buni

Within two years of his second term in office in Yobe state, Governor Mai Mala Buni has shown his administration commitments in ensuring Transparency and accountability in the way the administration spending public funds. The administration had enacted Public Finance Management Law to ensure institutionalize accountability, transparency, and sustainability in the management of the state's finances. In addition with the support of the World Bank, the administration had deployed State Integrated Financial Management Information System (SFTAS) in all ministries, MDAs, and other sensitive offices in the state. While audited financial statements of the state could be accessed on the finance ministry's website for transparent operational activities. Buni's administration's monumental achievements ring loud and louder each past days since came to power in 2015. The administration has demonstrated its true passion for issues concerning peoples and the state as a whole; he worked passionately to address matters of great concern to the Yobeans and quickly earned a reputation as a true people's governor, hard-working, and people's governor. However, the administration has greatly performed in the provision of infrastructural development, health care delivery, educational development, roads, agriculture, women/youth empowerment and also providing local and foreign scholarship and most importantly building the confidence of the citizenry in the state. Even though the state had its own bitter taste of the Boko Haram insurgency and other related security breaches the administration has left no stone untouched in it concerted efforts to combat insecurity in the state. It would be recalled that Yobe state governor, Mai Mala Buni has visited all the Service Chiefs and other Head Of Security Agencies toward finding lasting solutions in ensuring peace and security across the state being restore. In the last years, the Yobe state government has provided over 400 vehicles as logistics support to the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air force, Nigerian police, and other security agencies. To past track, his administration goal in the development of state educational sector considering Yobe State is home to about a third of Nigeria's 13.2 million out-of-school children. To address the problem, Governor Mai Mala Buni convened the state's first education summit. The summit aimed at proffering solutions to the sector. The administration of Governor Mala Buni has made a significant landmark in revolutionized the sector in the state. The administration had planned to establish two model primary schools and two model junior secondary schools in each of the state's three senatorial districts to expand access to education by the school age children. The plan would be further extended to cover each of our 17 local government areas. Since then the administration has increased school enrolment, in the state and also renovated structures burnt down by the Boko Haram insurgents. Construction of new ones in the local government councils affected by the insurgency and other local government areas of the state in line with the state of emergency declared by the administration on education. Since his assumption of office as the governor of Yobe state, Alh. Mai Mala Buni has shown an avid desire to turn the state health sector around for improved services for the wellbeing of people of Yobe state, by especially ensuring that the system meets the national criteria of having three tiers of health services delivery institutions; primary, secondary, and tertiary hospitals. Within the years in review, HMB's administration has to enhance healthcare delivery to the people of the state by providing state-of-the-art medical facilities and equipment and provide the best services to the people. Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Agency has commenced operations to provide accessible and affordable healthcare delivery and curb medical tourism. However, the benefits of the scheme include coverage of all minor and major surgical operations, hospitalization in secondary health facilities, investigations, and immunization among others. It promotes an equity programme for pregnant women and children below the age of five, the aged, and vulnerable persons to access efficient healthcare services. The administration provided one healthcare centre in each of the 178 political wards in the state. In spite, the state like the rest of States of the federation facing a financial challenge but the administration has able to executes developmental projects which have a direct impact on the human capital development indices. The administration also sponsored hundreds of both girls & boys best students to study in Petro-Engineering, operation theatre, renal dialysis, medicine, anesthesia, cardiac technology & pharmacy in Indian other to Al Azhar University, Cairo to study Qur'an and Arabic Language. Toward achieving Socioeconomic Blueprints of his administration in the state, Hon Buni wooing local and international investors toward invest in state deposits natural minerals and also met representative Qatari investors from the office of Sheikh Saoud Bin Nasser Bin Khalid al-Thani aimed at exploring an investing to set up a cement company and meat processing factory in Yobe State. The administration revived resuscitate and upgrade the equipments in the government-owned companies like Gujba Fertiliser Blending Plant, Polythene, Woven Sacks Factory, and the Yobe Flour and Feed Mills and the Sahel Aluminium Companies to production. To cut the story short the administration had intensifying its efforts to put back these companies to boost internal revenue and create employment opportunities. The state has witnessed unprecedented infrastructural development, since the administration came to power in 2015 the administration constructed New Township Roads, Housing, Modern Markets in major towns and provide befitting Trailer Park in Potiskum, and complete projects inherited from the former administration. Governor Mai Mala Buni proved to be a personification of humanity, a selfless leader, and an uncommon Governor, who thinks more about his people's feelings than of his own. Based on the purpose for the administration to achieve its far-reaching policies and programmes in making the state realize its full potentials to greatness through the good policy and consolidation of achievements recorded within six-year years of administration in power is recommended. It is worthy to note that Buni's administration pursues every opportunity with a high sense of responsibility in ensuring electorate lives has been improving as the administration prevailing interest of the masses should not be sacrificed either on the altar of political expediency or in pursuit of a narrow selfish agenda of those who operate the levers of authority. *Dukawa write in from Kano, can be reached at abbahydukawa@gmail.com*