Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni has rolled out his achievements since assuming office in the past five years.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that Mr Buni was sworn in for the first time in 2019 and got re-elected for a second term in 2023.
Speaking while addressing a press conference to mark his 5th anniversary, Mr Buni said over 500 km of road projects are ongoing, while 2,350 housing units were constructed across the 17 LGAs in the state.
The governor added that many healthcare facilities were rehabilitated across the state.
On the issue of insecurity, Mr Buni said: “When we took over the mantle of leadership on 29th May, 2019, there were many communities that remained inaccessible due to the threat posed by the insurgents in Gujba and Gulani Local Government Areas.
“With our commitment backed by the Federal Government, the gallantry of the security operatives, the complementary efforts of the vigilante groups, and the persistent prayers of our people, normalcy has returned to the insurgency most-ravaged areas, and reconstruction, resettlement, and rehabilitation of communities e.g., Buni-yadi, have been developed while that of Malamdunari is being carried out satisfactorily at present.
“In almost all parts of the state, people are now moving about pursuing their legitimate goals without hindrance.”
He added that the current administration has been consolidating on the achievements of his predecessors.
“With the scarce resources at our disposal, we have been able to complete the rehabilitation of Katarko-Goniri and Siminti-Godowoli roads, while rehabilitation work is ongoing along Geidam-Bukarti, Bayamari-Yunusari, and Yunusari-Kanamma roads.
“We are undertaking new intercommunity road construction projects of the Damaturu-Kalallawa 25.5-kilometre dual carriageway for easier access to the Muhammadu Buhari International Cargo airport and completed the dualization of Abattoir Junction-New Bye-pass Roundabout along Potiskum road for smooth movement of high number of traffic.
“We are also constructing Damagum-Gubana, Bulanguwa-Kumagannam, Nguru-Bulanguwa, Danchuwa-Garin Abba-Garin Bingel, Chumbusko-Tagali, Nguru Highway-Karasuwa Galu town, Fika-Maluri, Jaji Maji-Karasuwa town, and Kukuri-Chukuriwa-Dawasa intercommunity roads, among others.
“Similarly, contracts have been awarded for the construction of township roads in Damaturu, Nguru, Potiskum, Gashua, and Geidam in addition to the earlier township roads constructed.
“In total, over 500km roads are being executed by the state government.
“These projects, which are in various stages of completion, are being carried out with a view to opening up the communities and their adjoining settlements for enhanced socio-economic activities.
“Under our mass housing policy, 2,350 houses across the 17 local government areas have been constructed, and the estate provided with basic facilities,” Mr Buni said.
Through the Yobe State Education Trust Fund, the governor said his administration has been able to establish six new model schools, seven mega schools, nine new government girls day senior secondary schools, eight new co-education government day senior secondary schools, and an additional one for boys across the state.
He added that over 4,000 teaching and non-teaching staff were recruited and posted to various primary and secondary schools, and 26,000 teachers were trained or retrained to enhance their capacities.”
On his achievement in the health sector, Mr Buni said,”to achieve our target of providing one functional primary healthcare centre in each of the 178 Electoral Wards of the State, so far 140 have been completed and commissioned.
“We have also procured and launched 88 customised tricycle ambulances and distributed to remote areas to ease movement of patients to the health centers.
“The Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA) was established and over 300,000 people including civil servants and other members of the general public, have enrolled in the scheme.
“The scheme enables patients to pay only 10% of the total cost of medication. The Yobe State Drugs and Medical Consumable Management Agency (YODMA) was also established with a total drugs worth over N2.3 billionto address drugs and medical supply system needs of the State.
“In addition, the State Emergency Medical Ambulance and Yobe State Healthcare and Health-related Facilities Inspection and Monitoring Agency was established to boost healthcare delivery in matters relating to domestic and road traffic accidents and monitoring of health facilities to provide best standard practice.
“The state provide free health services to pregnant women, children under five and for accident victims for the first 48 hours, in addition to free dialysis for patients of kidney ailments.
“We also effectively collaborate with development partners in the implementation of programmes against the spread of polio and child killer diseases, among others. Thus, the Federal Ministry of Health has recognised Yobe as the most improved state in terms of immunisation coverage, from 16% to 65%.
“Our tertiary healthcare delivery service was enhanced with the provision of a well-equipped Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Complex at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital. The complex has 300-bed capacity with 7 blocks comprising the Gynaecology Clinic Ward, Obstetric Theatre, Labour and Delivery Suites, Emergency Paediatric, Paediatric Road, and a Special Baby Care Unit.
“The complex has vastly increased the Teaching Hospital‘s bed capacity to over 700 and made it the biggest and one of the most equipped hospitals in the country.
“At present, the teaching hospital has state of the art equipment including radio-diagnostic center equipped with MRI, 164 slides CT scan, Mammography, digital/mobile Xray, Ultra Sound among others. Our aim is to make Yobe State the hub of medical tourism in the Country.
“It is our hope that this will reduce the incessant travel of patients outside the country and enable the citizens save medical foreign exchange for the state and the country.
“In order to boost the manpower need of the state, particularly paramedical staff, the Shehu Sule College of Nursing, Damaturu, was provided with adequate teaching, learning, and welfare facilities like construction of 200 bed capacity student hostel, automatic employment to graduates of college, additional classrooms and demonstration room, wall fencing and tarred roads with drainage.”
He added that 25 villages were electrified while electricity was extended to over 200 different locations in the state government rural electrification programme, in addition to the rehabilitation of some 33 KVA lines.
“We have also ensured the provision of a 24-hour power supply to all the general hospitals in the state, as well as provision of generator sets to some government establishments,” Mr Buni added.
“In our continuous efforts to boost commerce and promote industrialization, we have reactivated the Sahel Aluminium Company, Yobe Flour and Feed Mills Company, and Pre-stressed Concrete Pole Company.
“We have so far completed and commissioned the Ibrahim Geidam Ultra Modern Market, Damaturu; Senator Ahmed I. Lawan Modern Market, Gashua; and the Sheikh Ngibirima Ultra Modern Market, Nguru, while construction works are ongoing in Geidam and Potiskum Markets.
“Furthermore, construction of Potiskum Truck Transit Park and Mega Shopping Mall in Damaturu are ongoing also,” he said.
He disclosed that efforts are ongoing to establish three 3 seed processing factories in Damaturu, Nguru, and Machina towns.
“To further boost commercial activities, we constituted the Ease of Doing Business Council under my chairmanship and investors can now get easy access to information on our current business enabling reforms and potentialities of the State through our website, http://yapppip.com/resources/.
“In order to modernise and change the way we practice agriculture, the following measures have been carried out, the state has procured, 7500 metric tons (250 trucks) of NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer for the 2019/2020 cropping season and sold to farmers at highly subsidized price of N5,000.00 per bag,” Mr Buni explained.
He added that to enhance crop production, the government has now placed emphasis on the dry season cultivation of crops to further boost production for the attainment of food security in the state.
“We have procured 1500 metric tons (50 Trucks) of NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer to support 2022/2023 irrigation farming in the state. These fertilizers have since been distributed and sold at a subsidized rate of N13,000.00 per bag through open market sales to the general public and allocation to LGAs, Ministries, Agencies, Farmers Cooperative Societies, Large Scale Farmers, among others.
“Furthermore, through Public Private Partnership, we have procured 1,500 metric tons of Neem-coated NPK 20:10:10 fertilizer to support rain-fed crop production for 2023 farming season.
“Under this arrangement, a company supplied the fertilizer at a cost of N25,000.00 per bag while Government on its part sold the fertilizer to farmers at the rate of N13,000.00 per bag which translated to a subsidy of N12,000.00 per bag.
“Arrangement has been completed for the procurement of fertiliser and other farm inputs for this year’s cropping season.
“The state in the year 2019 purchased forty units (40) of Mersey Ferguson Tractors (MF375) and were sold out to large scale farmers on loan at a subsidized price of N11,025,000.00 without any interest payable within four years.
“Establishment of Livestock Development Centres The Yobe State Government and the Federal Government has agreed on mutual collaboration to establish Livestock Development Centers (LDG) in the three Senatorial Districts in the state in phases, starting with Jakusko/Nasari LDC (Zone C) in the year 2021/2022, Gurjaje LDC (Zone B) in 2022/2023 and Bade Gana LDC (Zone A) 2023/2024.
“These projects consist of the following facilities: Veterinary and Human clinics, Milk center and Milking Parlor, Artificial Insemination unit and small Ruminant multiplication unit, 50 units of Herdsmen’s settlement, Feed mill and Feedlot, 5Nos.
“Earth Dams and Aquaculture, Administrative Block, Security outpost, Primary School, Tractors, Planters, Harvesters, Lawn Mowers, Ambulatory Vehicles, Renovation of loading ramp and pasture development, Construction of Warehouse, Construction of 6.0 km access road and Provision of Electricity,” Mr Buni concluded.
