The unheralded achievements of Governor Buni-led administration, by Yusuf Ali
The unheralded achievements of Governor Buni-led administration, by Yusuf Ali
Let me give due credit for the idea of this piece. For four weeks now, I have been leading a Strategic Media Team under the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Information, Honourable Abdullahi Bego, to cover all ongoing and completed projects across the 17 LGAs provided by the administration of Governor Mai Mala Buni.
Indeed, the tour is a fascinating eye-opener for me and my colleagues. One of the media consultants from Abuja is surprised by the breathtaking achievements in almost all the sites we visited. He keeps asking “And your governor is doing all this and we are not seeing it in the media”?
Even Governor Buni has said that Yobe State is one of the states in the country that is being underreported by the media. He said his achievements and the activities of the state government are under-reported by the conventional media.
The governor stated this recently during a parley with the media in the Government House, Damaturu.
“Actually, Yobe State is one of the states in the country that is being underreported by the media. I don’t know what is wrong and do not know whom to challenge but I think this is the best platform for me to say this,” he said.
I can’t but agree more with Governor Buni. There are achievements that are not reported, underreported, or not celebrated at all. Governor Buni is working hard despite all the challenges but he is not getting the desired media attention.
It is our duty as journalists to report the achievements and the success stories while also carrying out a watchdog function. The citizens have the right to know the policies and activities of the government they elected to serve them.
So, what are the unheralded achievements of the Buni administration? What are the landmarks and milestones given scant attention by the media, if even recognised at all?
Governor Buni came into office at a time when the economy was plunged into recession and other security challenges. As with all the countries around the globe, the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the biggest challenge for the federal and state governments, for the obvious reason that it kept under attack, not only the health of citizens but the economy and the environment.
It was in the midst of all these challenges that Governor Buni worked to provide critical infrastructures and social services across the state. It’s not yet ‘uhuru’ as they say, in the middle of it all, the government continue to work and makes the time count for the state and the people.
So, despite it all, what are some of the unreported or underreported achievements?
Firstly, the approach of the Governor Buni-led administration is multi-sectoral even as it tries to recover from the senseless destruction caused by Boko Haram. The government is putting so many things in place to ensure that displaced people are settled back to their ancestral homes and villages.
The Buni administration had promised to construct primary healthcare centres in all the 178 political wards in the state and it has done 138 so far. It has connected so many towns and villages with electricity. The government has constructed one of the biggest child maternity complexes in the country.
It has completed the Yobe International Cargo Airport up to standard. It completed Gashua Ultra-Modern Market, Nguru, Damaturu, Potiskum, Buni Yadi. It has embarked on Geidam Ultra Modern Market and work is still ongoing despite some security challenges in the town.
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The Buni administration has constructed seven (7) Mega Schools across the state. It also renovated over 3,000 existing primary and secondary schools across the state and built about 1,000 classrooms to boost the standard of education.
It is unprecedented in the entire country that Governor Buni established eleven (11) new Ministry Department and Agencies like the Ministry of Wealth Creation, Empowerment and Employment Generation, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, YORMA, YSCHMA, YODMA, YOROTA, YOHFIMA, YEMABUS, YOGIS, YITDA, HISBAH to provide services to the people.
But did the news hug the headlines? Did it become the talking point in the media? No. A governor that establishes all these agencies that are working to provide critical services to the people deserves to be heralded and celebrated.
All the media houses and our colleagues out there should come to Yobe and verify. If it’s a lie, let them tell the world that we are lying. If we are not lying, equally inform the world about what the governor has done. Tell the world that it is true.
By the grace of God, Governor Buni is going to do more. We all know that the moon moves slowly but by daybreak, it crosses the sky. By the grace of God, the Buni administration will do its best and make Yobeans proud and happy.
Yusuf Ali is the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) Communications and Strategy to the Governor of Yobe State.