Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has been elected as the new chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum.
Buni assumed leadership of the forum during the 5th Meeting of the Lake Chad Governors Forum, where he was entrusted with the role for the next two years, reports The Nation.
In his acceptance speech, Governor Buni expressed gratitude to his colleagues and delegates for electing him and pledged to collaborate closely with development partners and other stakeholders to achieve tangible results.
He said: “It is gratifying that as we celebrate the successful end of this meeting, my colleagues have found me worthy of chairing the forum for the next two years.
“I wish to on behalf of myself, the government and the people of Yobe state, commend and appreciate the decision of my colleagues for endorsing me as the new chairman of the Forum.
“Let me use this opportunity to reassure you my dear colleagues that, l shall serve with a great sense of responsibility, and the commitment deserving of the office.
“I shall liaise and work closely with you and all the development partners for us to be on the same page to work for the success of the forum, and the general development of the region”, Buni said.
He specifically expressed gratitude to the outgoing chairperson Her Excellency Ildjima Abdraman, Governor of Hadjer Lamis province, Chad.
“I especially thank the outgoing chairperson of this forum, Her Excellency Ildjima Abdraman, Governor of Hadjer Lamis province, Chad for her leadership,” Gov. Buni said.
He added: “On this note, l humbly accept the decision of my colleagues, and the opportunity given to me and the Yobe state government to serve as the chairman of the Forum.
“I wish to start by expressing my appreciation, and the profound gratitude of the government and people of Yobe State to Your Excellencies my colleagues the Governors of the Lake Chad Basin region, delegates and all other stakeholders for attending and also contributing to making this event a success story.
“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his leadership and commitment to peace, security, and development of the Lake Chad Basin region.
“I am convinced that we have made our stay here in the last few days very memorable and fruitful; with justice done to the theme of the meeting “Rebuilding the Lake Chad Basin: Consolidating Gains, Commitment to Peace, Cross-Border Cooperation, Security, and Sustainable Development for a Resilient Community.
“It is my hope as the host governor that we will internalise, domesticate, and act on the lessons and resolutions of this meeting; to move forward from discussions to an all-inclusive action-packed implementation that ensures everyone is carried along for the growth and development of the region.
“Therefore, we look forward to a more robust partnership, support, and the needed resource allocation for us to individually and collectively actualize our shared ambition of building a better and prosperous region for our people. I thank you so much and wish us all journey mercy back to our respective destinations.”
