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Abdulsalami, IBB, Others Will Be Disgraced, Says They Are Paperweight, Northern Govs Far More Powerful – El-Rufai

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Abdulsalami, IBB, Others Will Be Disgraced, Says They Are Paperweight, Northern Govs Far More Powerful – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna has described Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and other northern elders as mere paperweights who lack actual political power to influence the outcome of the general elections taking place in a few weeks..

In a BBC Hausa interview on Friday, Mr El-Rufai bragged that he, a 63-year-old man, and other northern governors currently in office, were the true northern elders because they have the ability to influence elections in the region.

“I am 63 too, I have children and grandchildren, I am also an elder. So, who are the Northern elders? They should come out and contest elections. I was elected twice,” bragged Mr El-Rufai.

“Those claiming to be elders, ask them if they had ever contested for any election, even councilorship position. They are liars, it’s we the Northern Governors that are the Northern elders and leaders of the region,” he added.

Mr El-Rufai claimed that some northern political heavyweights were actively working to thwart Bola Tinubu’s bid for the presidency because they opposed the transfer of power to the South.

“All these conspiracies and hypocrisy is by people of the North. They want to portray us as ungrateful people, especially we the Northern governors advocating for power shift to the South and support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,” Mr El-Rufai said.

The Kaduna governor claimed that Mr Tinubu deserved support from the North because he had performed numerous “good deeds” for the region. He maintained all efforts to sabotage Mr Tinubu’s ambition would come to naught.

“Let me tell you, with all these sabotage and conspiracies, this coming 2023 election, by the grace of God, we have already won. Because God knows our hearts, He knows our plans for Nigeria, He knows our plans for Northern Nigeria, so that we can show the people of Southern Nigeria that we are not ungrateful people and that we return good deed with good deed because Asiwaju has done good us,” the Kaduna governor stressed.

Abdulsalami, IBB, Others Will Be Disgraced, Says They Are Paperweight, Northern Govs Far More Powerful – El-Rufai

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Flood: Over 1,200 Houses Affected in Damboa and Chibok

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Flood: Over 1,200 Houses Affected in Damboa and Chibok

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has carried out rapid assessment in communities affected by the recent flood disaster in Damboa and Chibok local government areas with 1,209 houses affected in 4 different communities.

Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has earlier directed the Agency to immediately carry out assessment and intervention in communities affected by flood and windstorm disasters.

The affected areas include Gumsuri, Garjang and Wovi in Damboa as well as Mboa, Whuntaku and Yarchida villages of Chibok local government.

Governor Zulum had, on Tuesday, sympathised with residents of the affected communities and families of those that lost their loved ones in Chibok, Damboa and Askira

“I received with profound sorrow the sad news of the devastating flood disaster in Gumsuri, Wovi and Garjang in Damboa as well as the people of Mboa, Whuntaku and Yarchida villages of Chibok local government which claimed lives and displaced many families. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and all those affected by these disasters,” Governor Zulum stated.

During the on-the-spot assessment, the Acting Director General of SEMA, Ali Abdullahi Isa, said his visit was at the instance of the governor, assuring to deliver relief items to victims of the disaster.

“As directed by his Excellency, the Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, we have carried out on-the-spot assessment of all the areas affected by the flash flood in the two local governments,” Ali stated.

“A total of 1,103 houses in Gumsuri, Wovi and Garjang in Damboa LGA have been severely affected while 106 houses in Mboa, Whuntaku and Yarchida villages of Chibok local government were also affected,” he added.

The DG prayed Almighty Allah to prevent future occurrences.

Meanwhile, the Acting Director General of SEMA has provided relief items to families affected by the windstorm disaster in Rumirgo town of Askira Uba local government.

The DG alongside district coordinator of the Agency were received by the Vice Chairman and the District Head of the area.

Flood: Over 1,200 Houses Affected in Damboa and Chibok

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Troops neutralise terrorists, recover arms in Pulka-Kirawa axis

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Troops neutralise terrorists, recover arms in Pulka-Kirawa axis

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised two terrorists and recovered weapons and logistics items during a fierce encounter along the Pulka–Kirawa road in Borno State.

Sources told Zagazola Makama on Thursday that the encounter occurred as troops engaged a group of terrorists attempting to cross toward the Dar-Jamal area around the Miyanti axis.

The confrontation, which resulted in a sustained firefight, led to the elimination of two terrorists, while others fled with gunshot wounds.

Items recovered from the scene include AK-47 rifles with loaded magazines, motorcycles, Baofeng radios, cell phones, hard drugs, medical drips, and mini solar panels, believed to be used by the terrorists for field operations.

The troops have continued to pursue the fleeing insurgents as part of the ongoing offensive operations in the general area.

Troops neutralise terrorists, recover arms in Pulka-Kirawa axis

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VP Shettima Inaugurates NCGC Board, Says Firm Will Unlock MSME Financing In Nigeria

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VP Shettima Inaugurates NCGC Board, Says Firm Will Unlock MSME Financing In Nigeria

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has inaugurated the Board of Directors of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited (NCGC Ltd), charging members to deepen financial inclusion and stimulate Nigeria’s grassroots economy.

The new institution is designed to serve as a financial backbone for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) struggling with access to affordable credit.

Speaking on Thursday during the inauguration ceremony at the Presidential Villa, Vice President Shettima said the establishment of NCGC represents the government’s commitment to bridging the financing gap that has long plagued MSMEs across the country.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had on May 29, 2025, announced the establishment of the company, just as he also approved the appointment of its board and management team.

The President also appointed former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, as Chairman of the NCGC Board, while Mr. Bonaventure Okhaimo was appointed the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

While inaugurating the board, the Vice President said, “This is our response to a stubborn challenge that has stifled our economic potential for decades—access to finance. These entrepreneurs do not ask for handouts; they ask for the credibility of their ideas to be matched by the confidence of our financial institutions.”

Describing the NCGC as “a critical engine in our pursuit of economic inclusion and sustainable growth,” VP Shettima explained that the company will serve as a vital bridge between entrepreneurs and financial institutions, providing the trust needed for small businesses to secure loans.

He cited instances of farmers, traders, artisans, and tech entrepreneurs across the country who, despite being productive, are often stranded due to a lack of collateral or guarantees.

“NCGC is that bridge. It is the assurance that when a farmer in Ibadan needs a loan to expand her cocoa farm, when a tech start-up in Abuja needs working capital to scale, when a leather artisan in Kano seeks to mechanise his craft, and when a trader in Onitsha needs capital to expand, the system will no longer fail them. It is a promise that productive Nigerians will not be stranded for want of guarantees,” the Vice President said.

To the newly inaugurated board, chaired by former Speaker Dogara, VP Shettima urged its members to combine “prudence with courage, accountability with ambition,” as they translate national policy into impact.

“This is a call to deploy your diverse expertise not only as overseers but as enablers of transformation,” he charged, adding that the new board’s leadership is important in unlocking capital for Nigeria’s most enterprising but underserved sectors.

“On behalf of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GFCR, and the Federal Government of Nigeria, I hereby declare the Board of Directors of the National Credit Guarantee Company Limited duly inaugurated,” he stated.

Earlier, the new board’s Chairman, Rt. Hon. Dogara thanked President Tinubu for the bold and courageous leadership he is providing for the country.

“The establishment of NCGC is an attempt to give vent to our democracy to deliver on its promise. As it is said, the promise of democracy is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

“You can be alive and may enjoy all the rights, but if you don’t have the means with which to pursue happiness, you are excluded from the promise of democracy. Our democracy must deliver not just political and individual rights but economic opportunities,” he said.

In his remarks, the Managing Director (MD) of the Bank of Industry (BOI) and member of the board, Dr. Olasupo Olusi, said that the establishment of the NCGC reflects the administration’s unwavering commitment to removing structural barriers that long constrained access to finance for MSMEs, manufacturers, consumers and other segments of the economy.

“This milestone is a result of dedicated hard work by a coalition of partners like BOI, Ministry of Finance Incorporated, Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and the World Bank, who have all worked closely together under the direction of the Presidential Committee,” he said.

Other members of the board include Mrs. Tinoula Aigwedo, Executive Director of Strategy and Operations; Dr. Ezekiel Oseni, Executive Director, Risk Management; and Ms. Yeside Kazeem, Independent Non-Executive Director.

Representatives from key financial institutions serving as Non-Executive Board Members of the company include Mr. Aminu Sadiq-Umar (MD, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority), Dr. Olasupo Olusi (MD/CEO, Bank of Industry), Mr. Uzoma Nwagba (MD, Nigeria Consumer Credit Corporation), and Mrs. Oluwakemi Owonubi (representative of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated).

VP Shettima Inaugurates NCGC Board, Says Firm Will Unlock MSME Financing In Nigeria

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