By Mamman Mohammed
For anyone meeting him for the first time, he craves to meet him again, and for those who met him twice or more, they always look forward to meeting him again and again. Hon. Mai Mala Buni, the fourth Executive Governor of Yobe state, is a personification of humility, an embodiment of courtesy, a gentleman per excellence, a leader with listening ears and very humane in character.
Born on Sunday, 19th November, 1967 in Buni Gari, Gujba local government area of Yobe state. Mai Mala Buni exhibited leadership traits at a very early age, as he surrounds himself with pragmatic, optimistic and futuristic friends and associates, a value he still cherishes till date.
As it is with the tradition in Northern Nigeria, young Buni started learning memorization of the Holy Quran at an early age under the tutelage of his parents and other clerics before his enrolment into Buni Gari central primary school where he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate in 1979.
Upon completion of his primary education, Buni gained admission into Government Secondary School Goniri in 1979 and obtained the West African Examination Council certificate in 1985.
According to his childhood friends’ accounts, his generosity started very early in life. His friends had unfettered access to his wardrobe, picking every available clothes, caps and shoes without contemplating that Buni would ever complain. He became ever attractive to his friends, school mates and political associates with a growing fame. He easily reaches out to people outside his immediate environment, thereby expanding his scope of friendship.
He is a real party man and grassroots politician whose political career started in what could be described as a “Beckon to Serve” in 1992. His humble character attracted him to his people who nominated him unsolicited and subsequently elected him as a councilor on the platform of the defunct National Republican Convention party to represent them in Gujba local government council.
Buni’s tenacity and articulate representation in the council forced his colleagues to elect him the Leader (Speaker) of the council. It was a democracy in action as Buni had eight out of the 11 councilors while the Council Chairman had only three councilors on the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). He wielded more powers than the chairman.
He became a senior legislative assistant in the National assembly in 2000, and in 2004, he was appointed Member, University of Uyo governing council.
As a grassroots politician, Mai Mala Buni has refused his political difference to affect his personal relationship or to divorce him from his friends who share different political ideologies with him. His age long attribute of low level headedness and tolerance, had continued to attract him to young and old politicians including the opposition. In 2006, he was unanimously elected Chairman of the Advanced Congress of Democrats in Yobe state and when in 2007, members of the Action Congress party in the state entered into alliance with the Advanced Congress of Democrats to form a formidable force on the platform of the Action Congress, the alliance unilaterally penciled him down unopposed for the Chairman of the Action Congress party and was subsequently elected where he served as chairman from 2007 to 2010.
With a background in the family business of trade and transport, Buni also ventured into business at a very young age after completion of his secondary education. The quest to establish a factory to start a private company in furniture, took Mai Mala Buni to College of Vocational Science and Technology where he obtained Diploma certificate in 2012.
In 2011, Buni joined the then ruling All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Yobe state and was appointed Special Adviser on Political Affairs and Legislative Matters to Yobe state Governor. In 2013 after the merger of the mega political parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mai Mala Buni became the protem state secretary of the party in Yobe state and was subsequently elected the pioneer state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Yobe state.
While engaged in active politics, Buni was also a part time student at the Espan Formation University, Benin where he obtained a B.Sc. Degree in International Relation in 2014. Today, he holds a Master Degree in International Relations from Leeds Becket University, United Kingdom.
In 2014, Mai Mala Buni became the first elected National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress. It was that same regime of the party that ushered in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. His commitment to serving the party, automatically earned him a second term as the national secretary in 2018.
While serving as APC national secretary and board Chairman of the Nigeria Shippers council, destiny beckoned on him. He was nominated, endorsed and elected as flag bearer of APC for the 2019 governorship election in Yobe state.
History was made in March 2019 when the people of Yobe state trooped out and voted His Excellency Hon. Mai Mala as the fourth Executive Governor of the state.
As a successful businessman, he chaired and sat on the boards of several business ventures before his resignation when he was elected governor of Yobe state. He was Chairman MBG Integrated Farms Ltd., Chairman MMB Petroleum and Chemical Company Nig. Ltd., Chairman MBG Construction and General Services Ltd., Chairman Buni Gari and Company Nig. Ltd., Chairman Bright View Capital Alliance Ltd., Chairman Subi Mega Global Solutions Ltd., Chairman Rehab Synergy Nig. Ltd, Chairman First Integrated and Logistics Services Ltd, Chairman Gold Profile Nig. Ltd., Chairman, Prudent Bureau de Change, Chairman Patriots Bureau de Change., Yakubens Nigeria limited, and Ojonimi Enterprises Nig. Ltd.
When Hon. Mai Mala Buni assumed office on 29th May, 2019 he left no one in doubt that he was fully prepared for the job and he instantly declared a state of emergency on primary and basic education to build a solid foundation for the development of education in the state. Healthcare delivery, agriculture, youth development and economic growth were also listed on the priority list of the Buni administration. To provide the desired political will, his administration quickly organized the first ever summit on education and agriculture, drawing experts from across Nigeria to X-ray the peculiarities and potentials abound in the state with a view to fast track educational and agricultural development in the state.
Satisfactorily, one year after assuming office, model schools were constructed in Damaturu, Buni Yadi, Potiskum, Nguru, Gashua and Geidam to decongest existing schools just as, infrastructure and instructional materials were provided with training and retraining for teachers.
In the health sector, government has constructed 53 out of 178 proposed functional Primary Health Care Centers provided with laboratories, pharmacies, Male and Female wards and housing quarters for health personnel posted to these centers for 24/7 service to the communities.
Similarly, in his first year in office, Governor Buni resuscitated three dormant state owned industries namely, the Yobe state Flour mills company, Yobe state Sahel Aluminum company and Yobe state woven sacks company, creating huge employment opportunities and improving revenue generation.
To create a conducive atmosphere for trade and commerce across the state, six modern markets are earmarked for construction with four currently under construction in Damaturu, Gashua, Nguru and Potiskum while that of Geidam, Buni Yadi and Ngalda are under way.
Again, 1,800 housing units under the first phase of the state’s mass housing programme are currently under construction in the six urban centers of the state while the construction of another set of 1,800 units under the second phase are expected to take off after the completion of the first phase.
Governor Mai Mala Buni is a philanthropist who believes in empowering people working hard to have sustainable means of livelihood. He has targeted and substantially empowered ‘Akara’ beans cake sellers, ‘Me Shayi’ tea sellers, vulcanizers, mobile phone technicians among others without political, religious or cultural differences. He assisted them with capital to expand the businesses without political attachment. Every beneficiary was identified at his or her trade/business premise and supported with funds from the personal coffers of the governor.
This explains why Mai Mala Buni is so loved by his people such that whenever he drives across the state, people irrespective of their political differences troop out adorning the streets to catch a glimpse of him and to welcome him.
Today he combines his duties as executive Governor of Yobe state and Chairman caretaker committee of the biggest party in Africa, the All Progressives Congress (APC). To his credit, APC is back on its feet again with the likes of Hon. Yakubu Dogara former Speaker House of Representatives, Senator Barnabas Gemade former PDP National chairman, the incumbent governor of Ebonyi state Mr Dave Umahi, a serving Adamawa PDP Senator Ishaya Abbo and numerous others have defected to APC.
Governor Buni is a recipient of over 20 awards of excellence by various bodies in recognition of his contributions to human development, growth of Nigeria’s democracy and philanthropy.
•Mohammed is the DG Press and Media Affairs to Gov. Buni