News
Isa Gusau: A part of me is gone
Isa Gusau: A part of me is gone
By: Yakubu Ahmed BK
Innalillahi Wa’inna Ilaihirrajiun. Death – the ultimate leveler has knocked on the door (as it will on ours) of Malam Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser, Media and Strategy to the Borno state Governor Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.
Isa was a complete gentleman, a professional and a loyal friend who gave his all to what he so much loved. Years my junior but almost at par with those who began before him.
Our paths crossed in Maiduguri early 2000 or thereabout and we clicked almost immediately, because we shared many attributes. He was Daily Trust’s Correspondent in Borno and I was Concord Press Correspondent there too, after I had spent 10 years as a Reporter and later a News Editor with Borno Radio Television Corporation BRTV. If you work in Borno, you just have to be at your best. Borno has a way it builds your confidence and sharpens you into a courageous person – and of course into a go getter. He was courageous, and one thing nobody can take away from him was his professionalism – one hell of a writer if you would.
It was not for nothing that he meritoriously served former Borno state Governor (now Nigeria’s Vice President) Kashim Shettima as SA Media for eight solid years from 2011. It was not for nothing again that Kashim Shettima’s successor Babagana Umara Zulum inherited him – and was glad to have done that. Isa was somewhat irreplaceable, no carbon copy of him, take it or leave it.
We spoke last some two weeks ago and believe me even though we were close, he never uttered a word about what he was going through healthwise other than the general knowledge even amongst his closest friends that he had some challenges which we all thought he had dealt with since his surgery at a hospital in India a year ago. It was he who called and as usual, he had some professional suggestions on how I should handle certain PR issues of my Principal in my position as the Commissioner for Information and Culture Kebbi state. We have become used to checking on one another on the professional realm. Each time either of us called, it must be about what either he or I thought should be done to advance the frontiers of image making for our respective bosses.
Since my appointment as Information Commissioner some five months ago, he became restless for me to hit the ground running and to make “that first impression.” The advises we offered to each other were mutual, but I must confess that I drew much more from his fountain of knowledge than he did from mine. That was obvious because he has image managed and PR consulted much earlier than myself and had done it more successfully. The fact that he achieved that much in a state that was not his attested to his capacity and ability in the area he had chosen for himself.
A part of me is gone and I just can’t decipher where to run to when I hit that point of creative slowdown. Of course, we drew from each other but my sense of loss was made worse by the reality that I must dig out with bare hands since one of the shovels is gone. Allah ya jikan Isa Gusau.
Yakubu Ahmed BK is Commissioner for Information and Culture, Kebbi state.
Isa Gusau: A part of me is gone
NIMC Pushes Digital Identity Reforms to Boost Service Delivery, Security
By: Michael Mike
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) through the deployment of secure digital identity systems aimed at improving governance, enhancing national security, and expanding access to public services.
Speaking at a digital conference in Abuja themed “Building Africa’s Digital Foundations Together,” the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, represented by the Head of Infrastructure Technology and Identity Databases, Mr. Sulaiman Falade, said the commission is driving reforms and institutional partnerships to build an inclusive and interoperable digital identity ecosystem.
According to her, the National Identification Number (NIN) has become central to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda, serving as a key tool for identity verification, biometric authentication, and access to both government and private sector services.
She noted that following the Presidential Directive issued on April 5, 2024, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were mandated to integrate the NIN into digital services, particularly in areas involving data capture, identity verification, and authentication processes.
Coker-Odusote stated that NIMC has already established implementation structures to ensure compliance with the directive and to deepen the adoption of digital identity solutions across the country.
She further stressed that the Federal Government’s vision is to establish a unified, secure, and transparent digital identity framework capable of supporting efficient service delivery and accountability in governance.
The NIMC boss added that the commission is also advancing Nigeria’s broader digital governance goals through the deployment of the National Public Key Infrastructure (nPKI), a system designed to strengthen trust in digital transactions, safeguard citizens’ data, and promote secure online interactions.
She called on stakeholders in both the public and private sectors to continue supporting the implementation of Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, noting that the initiative is critical to national development and economic growth.
According to her, NIMC remains committed to leveraging technology and innovation to build a more connected, efficient, and resilient nation.
NIMC Pushes Digital Identity Reforms to Boost Service Delivery, Security
Tinubu Sweeps Zulum’s Ward with 100% Votes in APC Presidential Primary
By: Michael Mike
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recorded a landslide victory in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election in Mafa Ward of Borno State, securing all valid votes cast in the exercise held in the home ward of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.
The direct primary election took place at Mafa Central Primary School under the supervision of the Chairperson of the Presidential Primary Election Committee, Hajiya Inna Alkali Imam.
According to the results announced at the ward level, Tinubu polled 2,175 votes, representing 100 per cent of the valid votes cast during the exercise. Out of the 2,277 registered APC members in the ward, 2,175 were accredited and participated in the voting process.
Tinubu’s challenger, Stanley Osifo, an APC chieftain and businessman from Edo State, failed to secure any vote in the ward.
Governor Zulum, who served as the Coordinator and Collation Officer for the presidential primary in the state, said he participated in the exercise as an indigene of Mafa Ward.
“I am from Mafa Ward, and that is why I am here to witness and participate in the exercise. We have two candidates, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mr Stanley Osifo,” Zulum stated.
The governor also commended the peaceful conduct of the exercise and the turnout of party members.
“So far so good, we have conducted the presidential primary election for Mafa Ward, and I am very impressed with the turnout. We have a total of about 2,277 registered party members in Mafa Ward, out of which 2,175 were accredited for the voting, and all of them voted for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while the other candidate scored zero,” he said.
The APC presidential primary is ongoing in several states across the country, with the party expected to collate and announce final nationwide results at a later date.
Tinubu Sweeps Zulum’s Ward with 100% Votes in APC Presidential Primary
News
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
By: Our Reporter
The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has recounted a touching childhood memory about former Nigerian Head of State Yakubu Gowon, portraying him as a compassionate leader who extended personal support to the family of a military officer killed during the 1966 coup.
Speaking during an interview on Signature TV, Sanusi reflected on his early years at St Anne’s Secondary School in Kaduna, where he attended school alongside Yusuf Pam, the son of the late Colonel Joseph Pam, one of the victims of the January 1966 Nigerian coup.
The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria recalled that despite the demands of national leadership, Gowon took a personal interest in the wellbeing of Yusuf following the loss of his father. According to Sanusi, the former Head of State frequently sent handwritten letters to the young boy, signing them “Uncle Joe.”
“What I remember at the age of eight was that General Gowon, as Head of State, would send a handwritten letter to Yusuf signed ‘Uncle Joe.’ That is a window into the person you are dealing with,” Sanusi said.
The Emir noted that the gesture has remained vivid in his memory over the years because it revealed a caring and humane side of leadership during one of the most turbulent periods in Nigeria’s history. He suggested that Gowon’s actions reflected empathy and a sense of responsibility toward families affected by the political upheaval of the time.
Colonel Pam was among several prominent figures who lost their lives during the 1966 coup, a pivotal event that reshaped Nigeria’s political landscape and contributed to years of instability and conflict that followed.
I Remember At Age Of 8,General Gowon Would Send Hand Written Letter To Yusuf Signed Uncle Joe-Sanusi
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NIMC Pushes Digital Identity Reforms to Boost Service Delivery, Security
Tinubu Sweeps Zulum’s Ward with 100% Votes in APC Presidential Primary
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