Paul Orude, Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government says it would continue to partner and honour its obligations with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to make life better for children and women in the state.
Governor Mohammed A. Abubakar made this commitment while receiving UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Mr. Mohamed Malick Fall, in his office, in Bauchi, on Monday.
“Despite the harsh economic challenges we are facing, we have continued to honour our obligations in our partnership with UNICEF by paying our counterpart funding,” said Governor Abubakar.
Mr. Fall was in the office of the governor to thank him for the condolences extended to UNICEF by the government and people of Bauchi State over the sudden death of Dr. Abdulai Kaikai, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Field Office Bauchi.
Governor Abubakar, while condoling with UNICEF, noted that in more than two years he worked with the late Dr.Kaikai, he found him (late Kaikai) as “a very active person who was very passionate about issues of children and women and equally dedicated to his duties,” stressing that the sudden death of the UNICEF official was a big loss to the state.
“He was not just a staff of UNICEF but a citizen of Bauchi State, having lived in, and worked for the people of Bauchi. Therefore, his sudden death is not just a loss to UNICEF but a loss to the government and people of Bauchi State as well,” said Governor Abubakar.
Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Fall said he was in the governor’s office to condole with the governor on the death of Dr. Kaikai, while noting that having worked with the governor very closely, the death of Dr. Kaikai was bound to have an impact on the governor and the people of the state.
Mr. Fall further said that his visit was also to reassure the governor and people of Bauchi State that UNICEF would continue to collaborate with the state on child survival, development and protection issues, despite the gap created by the death of its Bauchi chief of field Office.
“Kaikai would have wanted to us to continue where he stopped; and that is what we are going to do. The greatest tribute we can pay to him is to continue to support the state government on interventions that improve the lives of children and women,” said Mr. Fall.
The UNICEF Representative said he would be returning to the state meet with the governor, soon, to discuss how to strengthen the partnership between UNICEF and the Bauchi State Government.