Today, I sat in a hall filled with the finest of Yobe society , traditional rulers, clerics, politicians, technocrats, and ordinary citizens from all walks of life and I watched something rare unfold. It was not just an oath-taking ceremony. It was a masterclass in leadership, trust, and the quiet power of mentorship. The occasion was the swearing-in of Dr. Mohammed Goje as the substantive Secretary to the State Government of Yobe State, with His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni, CON, COMN, himself presiding. And what I witnessed today will stay with me forever. Let me begin with the Governor. His Excellency took the podium and spoke about Dr. Goje in a manner I have rarely heard a leader speak about an appointee. This was not the language of political convenience or routine endorsement. This was the voice of a master who had nurtured an offspring from scratch , who had watched him grow, who had tested him in the crucible of complex assignments, and who had now arrived at an unshakeable conviction: this is the man. The Governor’s words carried the weight of years of observation, of quiet mentoring behind the scenes, of countless moments where Goje was given a task and he simply delivered. As I listened, I thought to myself: this is what it looks like when a leader is not insecure, when he does not fear the brilliance of his protégé, but instead polishes it until it shines so brightly that everyone can see. Standing there, administering the oath himself, Governor Buni was not just fulfilling a constitutional tradition , he was publicly sealing a bond of trust forged over years. And then there was Goje himself. Standing before the Governor, hand raised, reciting his oath with a calm that can only come from deep preparation. He did not need to prove anything today because his work had already done the proving. I have known him for years ,as a sound and intellectually formidable mind, a true technocrat in every sense, yet remarkably down-to-earth, responsible, and unfailingly reliable. He is that rare listening friend who combines deep international networking with genuine grassroots sensitivity. Today, as the hall erupted in celebration, I could not help but reflect on the journey. This is the man who transformed the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency into arguably the most successful agency in the state, navigating complex humanitarian crises with skilful foresight. This is the same man who, as Head of the Lake Chad Basin Governors Forum Secretariat, drove the actualisation of pivotal regional programmes with diplomatic finesse and data-driven precision that earned praise from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and beyond. A Harvard Kennedy School and London School of Economics-trained professional, a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health , yet so deeply rooted to his people. Today’s ceremony was the public confirmation of what those close to the administration have long known. Since 2019, Governor Buni has shaped Goje’s professional growth through strategic leadership mentorship, blending formal academic brilliance with practical, high-level governance experience. Every assignment was a lesson. Every challenge was a test. And today, the Governor stood before the world and said, in essence: “I have trained him, I have tested him, and I am confident.” Watching the Governor administer that oath, I saw a master watching his protégé step fully into destiny and the pride in His Excellency’s eyes was unmistakable. The event itself was a testament to Goje’s broad acceptance. From traditional rulers to political heavyweights, from civil servants to youth groups, the cross-section of attendees told a story of a man who has built bridges across every divide. The atmosphere was not merely celebratory; it was affirmative. There was a palpable sense in the room that Yobe State had just locked in one of its finest minds for the long haul, and that this moment was bigger than any one individual , it was a statement about the kind of leadership this administration values and rewards. What excites me most about this moment is what it signals for the future. Governor Buni has not only appointed a competent SSG; he has built a pipeline of generational leadership that will outlast his tenure. He has demonstrated to every young technocrat in Yobe State that loyalty, discipline, and excellence will be rewarded ,not with empty praise, but with real responsibility. In Goje, the Governor has found a round peg in a round hole, an executor who understands the machinery of government and shares the Governor’s vision of a Yobe that works for everyone. When the master trusts the protégé this completely, the state wins twice over. To my brother and friend, Dr. Mohammed Goje, I say congratulations once again. The journey from acting to substantive SSG, sealed today with an oath administered by the Governor himself, is a validation of everything we who know you have always believed. You have Yobe in your heart, and now you have
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