News

Bade Emirate organizes durbar in Yobe.

Published

3 months ago

April 7, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Bade Emirate organizes durbar in Yobe.

By: Yahaya Wakili

In a remarkable display of cultural heritage, the Bade emirate council in Yobe state has organized a colorful durbar competition to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr Sallah fast. The durbar held at Mai Bade Palace at Gashua was a momentous event that underscored the significance of unity, bringing people together, strengthening communal ties, and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Bade. The durbar also reinforced the unity and traditions of the people of Bade and featured an array of cultural heritage performances.

Alhaji Alkali Sale Bukar Sakan, Sharakun Bade, the deputy chairman of the Bade Emirate Durbar Committee, said since we are young, they are preparing the durbar during the Eid-el-Fitr and Eid-el-Kabir sallah, and during then our parents are performing many things, and this horse racing our parents are doing it. Therefore, we see that we revive this, our cultural heritage, and anything that has been done yesterday, today, and even tomorrow is continuous, and since we are in Borno State, that time NTA is carrying the traditional activities; people of Bade are dancing with swords, blue dresses, and red caps. Now, we didn’t introduce them, but we have the intention to bring the full team of the tradition we have.

“The time of modernization comes with its style. Other youth have an interest in their cultural heritage, while others, because of the Western education they receive, abandon their culture, but we are reviving our culture, and we hope our children and our grandchildren will emulate what we will leave behind, what our parents left to us, while the new modernization is trying to destabilize us. He said a few years back when Boko Haram came, it stopped this cultural heritage and other cultural activities, but now, Alhamdulillah, peace has been restored because if you enter Gashua now, you will know that peace has been restored in Yobe. Even from the Sallah of last year to date, it shows that there is peace; you will see everybody is enjoying it, and he is happy people are celebrating Sallah without fear or molestation.

Sharakun Bade further said, We, the Bade emirate council, are reviewing our culture because we inherited it. Other emirates didn’t inherit it, and even if they didn’t inherit it, it wouldn’t stop them from performing their culture, and every emirate has its own culture. They have their own traditional culture, and we hope they will advise their own emir to give them the opportunity because our emir gave us the chance. If the culture is not revived, one day it will disappear completely. And anything we are doing with regard to this durbar, we are doing it with government officials, and anything we are doing is open. Hon. Yau Usman Dachia, Deputy Speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly, is here; the Executive Chairman of the Bade local government area, Hon. Ibrahim Babagana, is here; and the Chairman of the Jakusko local government, Hon. Umaru Agwa, is also there, so the presence of these honorables serves as a letter.

Alhaji Alkali Sale further revealed that the Bade emirate council is together with His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni CON Chiroman Gujba. Anything Governor Buni brings us, we receive it with good faith, 100% accepted, and we thank Governor Mai Mala Buni CON because he gives us the opportunity to improve our cultural heritage. And every member of the committee donated something; some brought #10,000, some #500,000, and somebody brought #1m. All this among us, the members of the committee, and even His Royal Highness, the Royal Father, gave a donation to this committee.

Also speaking to newsmen on the history of the durbar committee, the secretary of the committee, Alhaji Sale Garba Suleiman, said this committee was inaugurated about three years ago by His Royal Highness, the Mai Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman. The time HRH inaugurated this committee, he told us that he wanted them to revive and improve the Bade cultural heritage, and he also told us that he did this because our youths who are coming up to know actually their cultural heritage. We thank his royal father for creating this committee, and we, as Muslims, believe everybody comes with something for the benefit of the people; the reward will go to him. Therefore, we are appealing to other emirates in our dear state to emulate this great thing for the benefit of their people.

“I am sure everybody who saw this program will be interested to review their own culture so that their youth will grow with their own cultural heritage, and as I said, this committee is new and is young, and we are planning to improve it, and we are advising other emirates to emulate what we are doing. We are trying to reach the Yobe State Art and Cultural Board to present to them what we are doing so far, because what you are doing, if you didn’t get results on it, you have no excuse, but as for the results we have on what we are doing, we will present them and solicit advice and cooperation from them to see how we will improve this matter.

The time His Royal Highness inaugurated this committee, the first thing we told him was that we didn’t know where we would get money to carry out our assignment. He advised us to contact our people who are willing to assist and request the assistance from them either in cash or in kind, and I will not forget it, because HRH was the first person who put his donation into this account, and since then we have continued getting donations. I assure you that we did our work successfully, and we have the remaining money in our account that can be used to do our program for the next Sallah, inshallah. Therefore, we and our relatives contribute the money. And at this point, I will never forget Hon. Yau Usman Dachia, Deputy Speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly. He is completely a son of Bade. This man, honestly, he plays a vital role in this committee; he contributes a lot. In fact, we can’t say anything to him except that we pray that Allah (SWT) reward him with Aljannatul Firdaus.

This work is for durbar, since before we were born our parents have been doing it, but to invite journalists for coverage is the first time, and this committee was inaugurated three years back. I, personally, thank Almighty Allah in his mercy for giving us the opportunity to make this burbar successful, and we are receiving the commendation from the public, and we also thank HRH, the Mai Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman, for creating this committee and giving us the opportunity to serve our people. We highly appreciate it, and we thank him. May Allah (SWT) reward him and give him good health. Amen.

Bade Emirate organizes durbar in Yobe.

News

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

Published

3 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

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

News

Troops neutralise terrorists, recover arms in Pulka-Kirawa axis

Published

3 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

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

News

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

Published

4 hours ago

July 3, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

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