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Tag: Mai Mala Buni

  • Buni earns applause for Infrastructure, economic transformation in Yobe

    Buni earns applause for Infrastructure, economic transformation in Yobe

    The Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has been commended for the significant transformation of the state through infrastructure development and economic revitalisation.

    Barr. Shuaibu Maina Birma said the commendation becomes imperative because Buni’s administration has positioned Yobe among the rapidly developing states in northern Nigeria.

    In a statement on Sunday, Birma highlighted improvements in commerce, infrastructure, agriculture, and power supply as key areas where the governor’s impact has been widely felt.

    The retired Permanent Secretary in the Directorate of Human Resources at the National Assembly and now a practising lawyer, said, “Yobe is fast becoming a commercial hub, with business activities gaining momentum due to massive investments in roads, electricity, and the construction of modern markets”.

    He cited the construction of 3,600 housing units across the state and the distribution of tractors and farm inputs to thousands of farmers as major interventions that have boosted rural livelihoods and food production.

    Read Also: Presidency: ADC exploiting Buhari’s death for relevance

    According to him, the Buni administration has also constructed hundreds of kilometres of roads with proper drainage systems in all 17 local government areas, significantly improving rural and urban interconnectivity.

    He added that the state capital, Damaturu, has undergone notable upgrades and now resembles a “brand new city.”

    On power infrastructure, Birma noted that many towns and villages in the state have been connected to the national grid and are now enjoying a more regular electricity supply.

    He also acknowledged the administration’s reforms in the health sector, pointing to the procurement and installation of modern medical equipment in hospitals and health centres across the state.

    The creation of the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA), he said, has further expanded access to affordable healthcare.

    Under the scheme, according to him, civil servants receive subsidised treatment while rural dwellers are offered free services.

    Birma said he recently visited Yobe and observed first-hand the improvements across sectors, describing the transformation as a result of judicious management of public resources.

    “The people of Yobe are pleased with the progress and are appreciative of Governor Buni’s commitment to delivering visible development,” he said.

  • Highlighting Yobe’s dividends of democracy

    Highlighting Yobe’s dividends of democracy

    SIR: Despite political scepticism from opposition politicians, Governor Mai Mala Buni has proven his commitment to serving Yobe State people, prioritising their needs over personal interests since taking office. His political vision aligns with the masses, focusing on their welfare and well-being.

    Since assuming office, the Governor Buni administration has made significant strides in various sectors, including infrastructure development, healthcare, education, road construction, agriculture, and women and youth empowerment. Notably, the administration has offered local and foreign scholarships, boosting citizens’ confidence in the state.

    Governor Buni has made concerted efforts to combat insecurity. He has engaged with service chiefs and heads of security agencies to find lasting solutions. Over the past six years, the Yobe State government has provided over 400 vehicles to support the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Police, and other security agencies, enhancing their operational capabilities.

    The Buni administration has made significant strides in transforming education. To address the pressing issue of out-of-school children, he convened the state’s inaugural education summit, seeking solutions. With approximately 4.4 million out-of-school children in Yobe (about a third of Nigeria’s 13.2 million), the summit marked a crucial milestone in the administration’s efforts to revamp the education sector.

    To expand access to education, the administration established model primary and junior secondary schools in each of the state’s three senatorial districts, with plans for further expansion to all 17 local government areas. This initiative has yielded significant results, including increased school enrollment and the rehabilitation of structures damaged by Boko Haram insurgents.

    The administration has established six new Model Schools, seven Mega Schools, nine Government Girls’ Day Senior Secondary Schools, eight co-educational Government Day Senior Secondary Schools, one additional boys’ school, and an IDP School in Buni-Yadi.

    These new schools are strategically located in affected areas, aligning with the administration’s State of Emergency Declaration on Education. The administration has also awarded scholarships to hundreds of high-achieving students, both male and female, to pursue various fields, including Petro-Engineering, Medicine, Anesthesia, and Pharmacy, locally and internationally.

    Read Also: FG commissions N5.7bn water supply scheme in Yobe

    These initiatives were complemented by the construction of new classrooms, laboratories, ICT centres, hostels, and other essential facilities, as well as the provision of teaching and learning materials to primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, fostering a conducive learning environment for students and pupils.

    Yobe State’s health sector has seen significant achievements. The state government has constructed, refurbished, and equipped over 138 Primary Health Care centres, increasing access to essential services. Free Dialysis Programme: hundreds of patients receive free dialysis treatment every month at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital.

    Yobe State was recognised as a leader in primary healthcare, winning $500,000 in the North-East zone leadership challenge. The state allocated 15% of its 2025 budget to the health sector, to promote healthcare delivery services.  The state has upgraded four general hospitals to specialist facilities and eight Primary Health Care centres to general hospitals, enhancing healthcare infrastructure. 

    The Buni Expanded Free Healthcare Scheme provides free basic healthcare to vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, children under five, and people living with disabilities. Under the scheme, there are 222 primary healthcare providers and 24 secondary healthcare facilities supported through capitation and fee-for-service arrangements. Yobe State University Teaching Hospital has secured full accreditation to train 25 resident doctors, a monumental achievement for the state’s healthcare sector.

    Since 2019, the state has witnessed unprecedented infrastructural development under the current administration.  Construction and rehabilitation of over 500 kilometres of roads, connecting communities and fostering economic growth. Township roads and drainages in five local government areas. Damaturu flyover construction.

    Commissioning of new electricity infrastructure for the Nguru Mass Housing Estate, Expansion of the National Grid to more communities.  Installation of solar street lights in 11 local government areas. Mass Housing Policy delivering 2,350 housing units with basic amenities at a 50% discount on an owner-occupier basis. Improved water supply with new solar-powered boreholes and reticulations in Damaturu, Buni-Yadi, Nguru, Geidam, and Potiskum.

    Construction of modern markets in Potiskum, Geidam, Yunusari, and Ngalda, Damaturu Mega Shopping Mall construction and Potiskum Truck Transit Park development. These infrastructure developments aim to drive economic growth, enhance the quality of life for residents, and support the state’s overall progress

    Despite financial constraints, Governor Buni’s administration has successfully implemented developmental projects that enhance human capital development. To achieve its socioeconomic objectives, the administration is proactively seeking local and international investments to leverage the state’s natural mineral resources. Notably, Governor Buni has engaged with Qatari investors to explore opportunities for establishing a cement company and meat processing factory in Yobe State.

    The administration has revitalised and upgraded government-owned industries, including the Gujba Fertiliser Blending Plant, Polythene, Woven Sacks Factory, Yobe Flour and Feed Mills, and Sahel Aluminium Companies, to enhance production capacity. This initiative seeks to boost internal revenue generation and create jobs.

    To realise its vision for Yobe State, the administration has introduced transformative policies and programmes designed to unlock the state’s vast potential and propel it towards greatness.

    • Abba Dukawa Abuja
  • Buni gets COAS’ supporton Yobe security

    Buni gets COAS’ supporton Yobe security

    Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni yesterday pledged continued support to the Army and other security agencies in the state to end insurgency.

    Buni made the pledge when the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, visited him in Damaturu, the state capital.

    He commended the military for its efforts toward the peace and security enjoyed across the state.

    The governor said: “The 17 local government areas are accessible with the people moving around pursuing legitimate businesses.

    Read Also: Insecurity not as bad as portrayed by foreign media, says Gani Adams

    “The security attained across the state affords the government the opportunity to execute its policies and programmes to improve the lives of our people unhindered.”

    Buni, however, called for increased patrol on the borders to check possible infiltration of insurgents targeting soft and isolated targets.

    Gen. Oluyede assured the governor of the army’s commitment to ending insurgency and banditry in the country.

    “It is my personal ambition to see the end of this menace as fast as possible, and I call for support from our political leaders and Nigerians to achieve this goal.”

    He promised to use his first-hand knowledge of the state’s terrain to dislodge the insurgents.

  • Tinubu and Buni: A convergence of vision

    Tinubu and Buni: A convergence of vision

    By Bola Odugbesan

    Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State is clearly a silent visionary. A leader who would rather quietly screw the greasy bolts and nuts to get the job done than mount the soapbox to announce how he intends to do the job. My visit to Damaturu last week after many years was an adventure worth the time and the money.

    Yobe is advancing on many fronts into becoming a major frontier market in Nigeria, nay Africa. Though blessed with many solid minerals, Yobe has its strength in agriculture. And it will amaze any visitor the diversity of farm produce possible from the state.

    Obviously, Governor Buni has long realised this and he’s equipping farmers in the state to scale up their productivity. The governor has aligned his vision with that of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope which has three key components namely: growing the economy, lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty and creating an enabling environment for businesses. All of these can be broken down into job creation, food security, economic growth, access to capital, poverty eradication, anti-corruption efforts and inclusive development. This is exactly what Buni is doing in Yobe through empowerment of the women folk, upskilling the youths, enhancing productive capacities of farmers, providing hybrid seeds for greater yield, and making funds accessible to the farmers.

    Yobe has the largest pastoral market in West Africa and can feed Nigeria and still have enough meat for export. Aside the meat, the hides and skin component of the pastoral industry has the capacity to turn Yobe to an export state with huge returns of forex. Buni has already worked out this possibility. By completing the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo Airport conceived and started by his predecessor, Ibrahim Gaidam administration in 2017, Buni has shown foresight to turn Yobe to a commercial hub and a ready source of both raw materials and agro-processed products.

    Read Also: Minimum wage: Ebonyi workers join nationwide strike

    The airport was initially proposed to cost N11 billion, but the cost increased to about N18 billion due to variations. The completion of the cargo airport commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 at the twilight of his government has renewed the hope of Yobe farmers and entrepreneurs of an assured future when their produce and products will easily find their way into the global market.

    Yobe’s pastoral farming sector alone can drive the economy of the state if it is well structured and strategically linked to the global market. In 2023, Nigeria’s exports of raw hides and skin (other than fur skins) and leather was US$85.34 million, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. This value, experts say, would double if there had been a direct link between the farmers and the international market. Lack of direct access to the markets has resulted in endless wait by the farmers and waste of products usually due to poor preservation of such products. A cargo airport like the Yobe airport will break this cycle of waste and wait.

    Nationwide, Buni is among the top tier governors making sense and giving meaning to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda through agriculture.  Yobe is blessed with vast arable land suitable for cultivating sesame, gum Arabic, rice, guinea corn and other crops for local consumption and for export. Just like Yobe, many other states, especially in the north, are endowed with resource-rich, arable land. The challenge has been how to make agriculture both attractive and lucrative such that the youths can embrace farming knowing full well that it will not only help put food on the table, but will be a veritable source of income for them and their families. Buni has unlocked the storehouse of funds targeted mainly at agriculture and its extensive value chain.

    This year alone, the state government has invested over N15 billion to procure inputs and equipment under the Agricultural Revitalization programme. The equipment includes tractors and smaller machines for ploughing, tilling, threshing and planting, among others. The equipment and inputs have been distributed free of charge to 5,300 farmers across the 17 local government areas of the state. The state has also completed the training of 178 extension workers in collaboration with the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project. The capacity building for the extension workers is paying off as it has equipped them to effectively disseminate information on new agricultural innovations to peasants and low scale traditional farmers in a manner they will understand.

    Governor Buni’s needs assessment of his state places him ahead of his peers. He understands the verdant opportunities available in the agro-value chain. He is equipping the farmers for greater-yield seeds and with potential direct flights to key markets within and outside the country. Yobe in the coming years will morph to a major source of food to meet Nigeria’s food security needs, boost Tinubu’s renewed hope of making Nigeria less dependent on oil and gas money and become a reliable source of forex.

    Buni’s renewed focus on agriculture is not lost on the farmers. On countless occasions, Yobe farmers under the auspices of All-Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), have applauded the governor for his unrelenting support to farmers in the state.

    The chairman of AFAN in Yobe, Alhaji Usman Ngari, bears the bouquet of gratitude of the farmers to the governor for “the provision of critical infrastructure and launch of the massive multi-billion naira agricultural empowerment programme,” coupled with other interventions including procuring and distributing fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides to farmers across the states at subsidised prices.

    On account of the pastoral success story from Yobe these past years, many have hailed President Tinubu for creating the new Ministry of Livestock Development. Experts say the new focus on livestock development will not only assuage the burden of meat supply in the country but create another stream of forex for the federal government from the $137.71 billion hides and skin global market in 2024, anticipated to hit $174.69 billion in 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1 per cent. This is a huge market made possible by growing offtake of hides and skin to sustain the rise in the fashion and apparel industry, footwear manufacturing, automotive upholstery, furniture production and changing consumer preferences. Leather is taking up huge space in the fashion industry. Nigeria, and indeed Yobe, has positioned strategically to feed from this huge global market. This is the sense in which Tinubu’s Renewed Hope for food security has found a fitting convergence in Buni’s Yobe agro-business initiatives. It’s a smart way to achieving sustainable economic diversification.

     •Odugbesan, agricultural extension expert, writes from Abuja

  • Buni approves N70,000 minimumwage for Yobe workers

    Buni approves N70,000 minimumwage for Yobe workers

    GOV. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, has approved the payment of N70,000 new minimum wage for civil servants in the state.

    Buni, in a statement by his Director-General, Press and Media Affairs, Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, in Damaturu on Saturday, said the payment would take effect from December.

    According to Mohammed, the approval is contained in a memo signed by the governor, following recommendations by a committee on minimum wage earlier constituted by the state government.

    Read Also: Governor Buni and the Potiskum Modern Market

    “The committee had recommended for a reconciliation of local government finances to ensure a hitch-free transition process of the local government councils from the existing salary structure to the new minimum wage.

    “The reconciliation process, which is nearing completion, is expected to be concluded soon for approval, and quick enrolment of the local government employees into the new minimum wage salary structure,” he said.

  • Yobe’s new push for export

    Yobe’s new push for export

    • By Sabiu Gaya

    The governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, is dreaming industrialisation, empowerment for his people and how to grow the state economy in a sustainable way. And he’s not sleeping on his dream. Recently, he presented a certificate of occupancy and right of occupancy of a 300-hectare land to the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, NEPZA. It was a smart move by the governor.

    By this gesture, it is obvious that Buni is not thinking local consumption alone. He’s thinking export. He wants Yobe to earn foreign exchange through export. And Yobe has so much to export. Yobe is rich in pastoral products – meat, milk, hides and skin, boasting the largest pastoral market in West Africa. It’s home to sesame seeds, gum Arabic, millet, sorghum, cowpea, maize and cotton, among other crops that are produced in commercial quantities. What has been lacking over the years is turning these crops into cash especially in the international market.

    For a state blessed with a panoply of minerals, cash crops and pastoral resources, Yobe, like most Nigerian states, has no reason to keep depending on Abuja to share the national cake every 30 days. The reason states in Nigeria rush to Abuja for allocation is the absence of visionary leadership. This is what Buni is providing in Yobe State; a far-sighted leadership that lives for the moment but plans for the future.

    While presenting the certificate to the agency’s Executive Director of Trade and Investment, Alhaji Usman Bakori, Buni urged NEPZA to use the land effectively and efficiently.

    “You should ensure efficient and speedy use of the land to enhance development. Government deliberately allocated the land to the agency close to the cargo airport to stimulate trade and business activities in the state.

     “You have a great role to play in promoting the export of agricultural produce, including sesame seeds, gum Arabic, livestock and other crops that are produced in great commercial quantities in the state. We look forward to seeing your presence and performance soon in the state,” Buni said to the NEPZA chief.

    This is another case of development partnership. Recently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after a meeting between officials of the state and officials of Arab Bank for Economic Development (BADEA), Buni inked a partnership with BADEA on behalf of the state to foster growth in energy and agriculture development.

    This latest on-site partnership with NEPZA complements the expected gains from the strategic BADEA partnership. While receiving the land document from the governor, Bakori pledged prompt action from NEPZA to “hasten development on the land.” This gesture is a masterstroke. The governor also ensured that the land area allocated to NEPZA is near the cargo airport, a fit-for-purpose land for an agency that will help the state drive its export market.

    In the coming years when NEPZA sets up shop in Yobe, it would be helping the state to begin a journey into the lucrative export market. Just imagine what partnership with NEPZA would do to the state’s pastoral market. From the state’s rich resource of cattle, one of the by-products, hides and skin, would be put to optimal use, not only in the local market but will be readily exported into the international market where improved lifestyles and innovations have placed high demand on the raw material.

    Contemporary researches have projected the global hides and skin market to grow from $129.14 billion in 2023 to $137.71 billion in 2024. By 2028, the market value of hides and skin is expected to hit $174.69 billion at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1 per cent. There is growing offtake of hides and skin and this has been attributed to the growth in the fashion and apparel industry, footwear manufacturing, automotive upholstery, furniture production and changing consumer preferences. Leather is climbing the ladder in the fashion industry.

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    Such is the vastness of the hides and skin market. With effective partnership and support from NEPZA, Yobe and indeed Nigeria, would be cutting its own share from the global pie.

    Aside pastoral produce, Yobe also has in its bowel, minerals like limestone, gypsum, trona, kaolin, diatomite, bentonite and crude oil in huge commercial quantities. A walk with NEPZA will enhance exploitation, processing and export of these minerals. NEPZA anchoring its base in Yobe has both immediate and long-term effects. It will create immediate employment in the state as well as create economies of scale for artisans, food vendors, professionals in science and engineering, project management professionals and others.

    It bears restating that minerals in Yobe are in high demand locally and internationally. Trona, for instance, is used to manufacture detergent and in the production of Plaster of Paris (POP), glass, paper products, and in manufacturing of other chemicals, such as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). The United States and Turkey are major sources of this rare mineral which is finding more uses as innovation advances.

    Limestone, a base material in cement manufacture, will trigger the development of a buoyant cement industry in Yobe. Any cement factory located in that part of Nigeria will not lack the requisite raw material to sustain Nigeria and Africa markets.

    Recently, a geologist based in Damaturu, Dr Garba Iliya, put the estimate of the reserve of gypsum at 141 million tonnes. He said the mineral was lying fallow in Gujba, Gulani, Fune and Fika local government areas of the state. The geologist said 247 million tonnes of limestone and 231 tonnes of kaolin were available in Gujba, Gulani, Nangere and Fika local government areas. Yobe has no fewer than 18 minerals in commercial deposits.

    Yobe is one of the states that can sustain itself and other states because of its natural endowments. What has been lacking over the years is the vision and the will to explore and exploit these natural endowments for the good of the state and country. This is what Buni is providing at the moment, visionary leadership. He is quietly turning the sod in the state and it is only a matter of time, the seeds being planted today will germinate and grow into oak trees of investments and prosperity for Yobe State, and the nation in general. Buni is thinking and working. He should stay focused on the ball and on the goal.

    • Gaya, an agronomist, writes from Abuja

  • How far can Bayelsa APC peace panel go?

    AS the peace panel set up to pacify displeased members commences its reconciliatory efforts, Sam Egburonu, Associate Editor, reports on how far the committee can go and the likely effects on the fortunes of the party

    Since David Lyon emerged the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State after the September 4 primary, informed observers of the intrigues that threw him up have expressed fear that unless the leadership of the party takes a bold step to forestall likely in-fighting, the party’s fortunes in the November 16 governorship election may be negatively affected.

    Trouble started as soon as the Bayelsa APC governorship primary election committee, headed by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, declared Lyon as the winner of the primary because most of the other frontline aspirants, like the immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, and Preye Aganaba, a founding member, among others, voiced their dissatisfaction with the decision. Aganaba also approached the court to seek nullification of the primary.

    Concerned members of the party and other stakeholders have since called the leader of the party in the state, Timipre Sylva, and other leaders for reconciliation as a way of ensuring that the party will enter the governorship race a united family.

    Last week, the party set up an 18-member committee chaired by Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, a former Chief of Staff to Governor Seriake Dickson, and one of the founding PDP’s members in the state, who cut ties with both Dickson and PDP in 2015 when he defected to APC alongside many of his supporters.

    Confirming the party’s moves to reconcile displeased members, the Bayelsa State APC Chairman, Jothan Amos, said the party would work hard to avoid a repeat of what happened in Rivers State where the party was barred from presenting candidates because of suits filed by some members.

    As he puts it, “We are talking with them, in every political process of such nature there must be some aggrieved minds.

    “We have set up a committee to handle that with a clear template but we are not going to tele-guide them.”

    The Nation investigation during the week however shows that some of the major aggrieved members are still determined to fight the party during the election. We however found out that the Ikiogha-led committee has commenced consultations. A source close to the leadership of APC told us on Friday that the “committee was at the APC National Secretariat yesterday (Thursday) and is on the way to Bayelsa where the actual work would be done.” Although our source refused to give details on what transpired in Abuja, he explained that the meeting at the Abuja Secretariat is coming on the heels of reports that one of the aggrieved aspirants, Aganaba, may have transferred his case to Abuja. Our source said he understands the matter would be coming up early this week in Abuja.

    Commenting on how far the panel is likely to go in reconciling the matter before the election and the likely effect on APC if the aggrieved aspirants refused to back down, Comrade Wilfred Frank Ogbotobo, one of the APC founding fathers in Bayelsa State and the Director-General of Timipre Sylva Support Organisation (TSO), told The Nation in a telephone chat on Friday that the party is set to win the election even if the aggrieved members refused to see reason to make the necessary sacrifices.

    As he puts it, “In my opinion, as much as it is a welcome idea, the so-called reconciliation move is an intellectual exercise. When you talk about APC in Bayelsa State, it’s about lots of sacrifices.

    “The Bayelsa APC was built on sacrifices made by the Grassroots Movement. His Excellency, Chief Timipre Marlyn Sylva, made incalculable sacrifices to raise the party edifice.

    “From 2015 to date, a lot of ambitions have been sacrificed to ensure that the party anchored and made its presence felt in Bayelsa politics.

    “Moreover, the mode of primary adopted for the governorship primary was an outcome of a popular decision, and it was the same mode that was adopted in the first governorship primary of the APC in Bayelsa State.

    “Hence, I don’t think any loyal and committed party faithful will go against the party’s direction at this point except that person is acting a script that is aimed at subverting the success of the Bayelsa State APC.”

    On the chances of the party in the face of the disagreements, Ogbotobo said, “We are all happy that we were able to produce a very popular and acceptable candidate for the party that Bayelsans are feverishly looking forward to welcome as their next governor. Honestly, no true party faithful will want to go against the momentum.”

    The disagreement notwithstanding, most insiders said the APC candidate, David Lyon appears to be enjoying increasing acceptability. But as The Nation reported recently, there are other stakeholders who have warned that “Lyon’s popularity alone can’t win Bayelsa for APC.”

    For example, we quoted ex-militant leader and chieftain of the APC in Bayelsa State, Eris Paul, popularly known as Ogunboss, as warning leaders of the party against carefree attitude in their approach to win the November 16 governorship election.

    He urged the national and state leaders of the party not to underrate the Peoples Democratic Party and its state leader, Governor Seriake Dickson, ahead of the poll.

    “I am shocked when some party faithful claim that we have gotten the crowd, the numbers and even the publicity is on our side. But that does not get the job done. The might, the crowd, the number and media publicity are good designs. A good design in politics is a great combination of common sense, but not enough to say you have already arrived

    “Yes, you have the chances and opportunity that are knocking on our door as APC, but the most common way people give out their chances is by thinking they have arrived when they have not,” he warned in Yenagoa.

    As the peace panel arrives Bayelsa this weekend, even as the case challenging the result of the APC primary kicks off in Abuja, concerned stakeholders said the leaders must do everything useful so that the party will not suffer the fate it suffered in Rivers State. Ogbotobo confided that the party leadership in the state is aware of the danger and is doing everything to ensure that APC will participate in and win the governorship election.

  • Mai Mala Buni, Prof. Zulum sworn in

    Alhaji Mai Mala Buni and Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum along with their deputy governor have been sworn – in as new executive governor’s of Yobe and Borno States respectively.

    In Yobe State, the event was done at the Banquet Hall of the Government House Damaturu.

    READ ALSO: Breaking: Umahi sworn in for second term

    The oath was administered by Justice Garba Musa Nabaruma, the Chief Judge of Yobe State.

    In Borno State, the event was held at the massive Ramat Square amidst hundreds of thousands of supporters with heavy security.

    Details later

  • A case for Waziri Bulama as APC National Secretary

    The ruling All Progressive Congress is in the process of replacing its National Secretary following the resignation of the immediate past National Secretary, Mr Mai Mala Buni, who was recently elected as the Governor-Elect of Yobe State, North East, Nigeria.

    Architect Waziri Bulama is a frontline candidate for the top position, Bulama had previously contested for the same position of National Secretary during the 2018 National Convention of the party but he later stepped down to pave way for Mr Buni to emerge unopposed after an agreement by leaders of the party from the North East geo-political zone where the position was zoned to.

    Architect Waziri Bulama is a scion of the famous Bulama family of Borno State, he graduated from Ahmadu Bello University with a B.sc degree in Architecture in 1983, he also obtained an M.sc degree in Architecture from the same institution in 1984. He thereafter proceeded to the University of Bedfordshire in 2005 and bagged an M.sc degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Management in 2006 from the university.

    Architect Bulama is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Architects and is a former chairman of the Borno State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Architects. Bulama is the Chairman/CEO of KDC Construction Limited.

    He served as the Deputy Director-General (Coordination) of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in 2019, Architect Bulama played a pivotal role during the merger and formation stage of the party when he headed the strategy and planning committee which gave the APC firm footing and ensured victory for the party in the 2015 general election.

    He is a political tactician who is well acquainted with the principles of building a coherent party, he has the wherewithal, clout, carriage, candour and pedigree to take the APC to greater heights.

    Architect Waziri Bulama has always demonstrated deep loyalty and sincere commitment to the ideals of the All Progressive Congress’ (APC).

    The National Secretary of any political party is expected to be someone with the vital ability, experience, skills, leadership management experience, political party administration skills, political knowledge, campaign experience, partnership building, political party knowledge and understanding of the complete political party constitution, policy, processes, procedures, structures, rules, political research, political party budget management and other vital information relating to a political party and with the responsibility to manage, motivate, supervise and lead a team of people within the political party structure in consultation with the National Chairman and the entire leadership of the party, Architect Waziri Bulama  has all these qualities and is well grounded to carry out these responsibilities.

    Architect Waziri Bulama is a politically sagacious and dogged politician, who do not just possess high managerial skills but is a political technocrat whose administrative acumen is needed in building the ruling party and ensuring the success of the government.

    Architect Bulama has shown over the years from his performance which he has clearly demonstrated when given responsibilities by the party that he will help in building and delivering dividends of democracy to the people.

    A recent report in one of the major daily newspapers described Architect Bulama in glowing terms: “Also of importance was that Bulama’s administrative competence was highly exhibited during the Presidential Campaign as the Deputy Director General (Coordination).”In fact, one of the leaders of the party was said to be so impressed with Waziri’s deep intellect, his eloquent marketing of Mr. President and APC programmes all through the period of the campaigns, especially in live television programmes and debates, that he remarked, ‘this is our next national secretary.”

    Following his endorsement and recommendation to the party leadership by the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shettima who also doubles as the Chairman, Northern Governors Forum and the support for him by the CPC bloc of the All Progressive Congress, it should be a smooth ride for Bulama to emerge as the next National Secretary of the ruling APC.

    It is my sincere belief that Architect Waziri Bulama will bring to bear his strong organisational and managerial skills to bear on the office of the National Secretary when appointed.

  • APC: Northeast and the search for a new scribe

    Following the election of Mai Mala Buni, the National Secretary of All Progressives Congress, as the next Governor of Yobe State, the plum office he occupies at the APC National Headquarters is vacant. Assistant Editor, ‘Dare Odufowokan, reports on the ongoing schemes to replace the party’s National Secretary

    IT is no longer news that the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mai Mala Buni, has emerged as the governor-elect of Yobe State. The APC scribe ran as the candidate of the ruling party in the March 9 gubernatorial election in the northeastern state.

    Consequent upon his election and impending swearing-in on May 29, 2019, the position of the National Secretary of the ruling party is now vacant. Sources at the national headquarters of the party told The Nation that a lot of underground moves are already in top gear as various interest groups within and outside the party hierarchy scheme to have one of them as the next scribe of the APC at the national level.

    “The outgoing National Secretary is a huge asset to the current party leadership. His contribution to party administration and decision making has been immense and as such, everybody here is interested in who replaces him. Beyond the issue of zoning and other interests, it is very instructive to say here that those aspiring for the position must ensure that they have what it takes to match the outgoing occupant of the office,” a national executive committee member of the party from Oyo State said.

    The Nation also gathered that consultations are currently ongoing at various echelons of the ruling party regarding the development. “The need to ensure that the successor to the Yobe governor-elect emerges without much rancor is of great concern to our leaders. This is because the office of the National Secretary is a very crucial one to party administration. Thus, the occupant must not emerge from a rancorous process in the interest of the party.

    “While we are all aware that the party has its zoning arrangement in place, I must say here that we always factor merit and quality into our implementation of the zoning policies whenever scenarios like this arise. This is different from a mere election; it is a replacement process for a man who has performed excellently well and positioned the position as a very crucial one,” another national officer of the party added.

    Checks by The Nation revealed that there is a general consensus on the position that the northeast geo-political zone will be allowed to produce a replacement for the Yobe governor-elect. “One thing that is concluded is that the northeast will produce the successor of the outgoing National Secretary of our party. As it is, our next Secretary can come from any of the states in the northeast,” our source added.

    The National Working Committee (NWC), according to party sources, was to meet this week to resolve the intrigues in picking the new National Secretary. As at press time, it could not be confirmed if the meeting held. The Nation however gathered that the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, received a number of letters and presentation from some states in the northeast over the matter.

    “I can tell you that some groups and individuals sought audience with the National Chairman during the week regarding to the vacant position. Some letters and presentations were also brought to the chairman’s office. Most of the correspondences have to do with proposals on how the next secretary should emerge. Some groups made cases for certain states and persons in their letters and presentations,” our source added.

    Intrigues

    Mala Buni was on June 23, last year, elected the National Secretary of the ruling APC at the party’s National Convention. His election didn’t come without some high wired politics, especially among the leaderships of the party in the six states of the zone. At last minutes of the convention, Borno State had to concede the position to Yobe State for the outgoing scribe to clinch the post.

    “You will recall that last year, Arc. Waziri Bulama from Borno State stepped down at the last minutes for Mai Mala Buni after the Northeast governors had reached a consensus at the convention ground. Naturally, while party chieftains from Yobe State wanted to be allowed to replace Mala Buni with another chieftain from the state, the people of Bornu State see his exit as an opportunity for their man, who is also a tested and trusted party man, to occupy the position,” a source revealed.

    There are also talks about the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) bloc in the ruling party calling on APC leaders to consider picking one of them as the next Secretary as a way of compensating the group for the neglect it has allegedly suffered in the party and government appointments since the APC won the 2015 presidential election. “The CPC bloc is not leaving anything to chance in their determination to clinch the vacant post too,” our source added.

    “The CPC bloc within the party has been complaining of being alienated in the party’s hierarchy, especially as it concerns national party positions. They see the current development as an opportunity to once again push one of them forward. They have said it clearly that they want to be represented at the headquarters of the ruling party. They are again pushing for Bulama from Bornu State to be considered for the job.

    “In fact, a strong recommendation has been made to the leaders of the party to consider Bulama this time ahead of any other aspirant, irrespective of the factors being considered. Bulama, as fate would have it, is from the northeast, the zone we have all agreed should produce Mala Buni’s successor. What is left is for other states in the zone to agree to his choice,” another source added.

    The Nation gathered that although there are moves and counter moves in the struggle over who should be the next National Secretary of the APC, the party’s leadership is handling the developments with the required tact and caution in its bid to ensure it does not degenerate into another face-off among the various interests currently jostling for the position.

    The contenders

    About five chieftains of the ruling APC are reported to be interested in occupying the seat as we speak. They are all from the northeast zone though from different states.  Bulama, who served as the Deputy Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, is one of them. He is from Borno State. He is also said to be the preferred candidate of most of the governors in the zone.

    Bulama is also the candidate being allegedly pushed by the CPC bloc in the party. He is reputed to be a strong disciple of President Muhammadu Buhari. It was Bulama who stepped down last year for Buni to be elected as the National Secretary of the APC following an agreement among the governors of the zone. Many of those pushing for his candidacy are convinced he is the best replacement for the outgoing scribe.

    Others also said to be interested in the job include Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Garba Abari. He is from Yobe State and a good number of APC chieftains from the state want him to succeed Mala Buni. Also in the race is the National Vice Chairman (North-East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu. He is from Adamawa State.  Others are Alkali Jajere from Yobe State and Kashim Imam from Borno State.

    The arguments

    Recently, as part of efforts to tilt the party’s decision in favor of his state, the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, in a letter to the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshimhole, said the governors in the Northeast have conceded the office to his state in the interest of fairness and equity. The Nation gathered that the governor’s letter is one of the factors being considered as regards how the next scribe of the APC will emerge.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Following the exit of Buni, APC is about to pick a new National Secretary. The Northeast wants to retain the office as it was zoned to it at the last National Convention. According to a position recently canvassed by the Governor of Borno State, the APC governors in the northeast have zoned it to Borno State. The party leadership has been told to allow the zone decide who it wants for the job.”

    A party chieftain from Bornu, Waziri Ibrahim, argued that it is only fair for the party chieftains in Yobe State to throw their weight behind Bornu APC in the race for a new National Secretary. According to him, Bornu did same in 2015 for Yobe State. “But for our own understanding, Mala Buni, the current secretary will not have won. We sacrificed in 2015, we expect them to do same now,” he recalled.

    The former northeast Zonal Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), said with Waziri Bulama, the man who sacrificed his ambition for Mala Buni in 2015 now in the race for the same position, it is important for other states of the zone to consider supporting him for the job. “Bulama is a man we all know is fit for the job. He will perform well if given the chance. Other states should consider supporting him,” he added.

    Yobe State is however indicating interest to retain the seat. Party sources revealed that some new aspirants from the state have just emerged to make the race a tougher one. Findings by The Nation also revealed that those pushing for another Yobe man to occupy the position are arguing that the state should not be deprived of its slot in the NWC for any reason.

    A chieftain of the APC from Yobe State, Hon. Abdu Bala Dogo, however insisted the state should nominate Mala Buni’s successor. “We just cannot understand the decision of aspirants from other states aside Yobe to gun for the office. Yobe will be left without a replacement should the position be taken away from us. That is what people should consider. These who talk about compensation and settling some aggrieved people shouldn’t deny us of our right to be adequately represented within the party leadership,” he said.

    “The Bornu governor spoke about an agreement among governors; we are yet to hear the full details of this agreement. Until we hear the full details, we just want to say Yobe should not be made the sacrificial lamb in any power sharing arrangement within APC. Our governor-elect served in that capacity and he made us proud. It is for this reason Yobe should be allowed to nominate his replacement,” Bala Dogo said.