Some time ago, I had a lengthy conversation with the former Accountant General of Kaduna State who served under Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. Our discussion drifted to what many remember as the good old days in Kaduna, when governance was largely driven by a desire to build institutions, attract investment, and put the interests of the state above personal interests.
He shared several stories about those years, but one in particular has remained with me ever since.
He told me that one of Mallam El-Rufai's biggest priorities as governor was attracting FDI into Kaduna State. According to him, Mallam understood that government alone could not create enough jobs or transform the economy. His strategy was to convince both local and international investors that Kaduna was open for business.
Because the security reports were very messy for Kaduna at that time, that meant countless meetings, presentations, negotiations, and official trips. He said there were periods when Mallam was constantly travelling from one country to another, meeting global investors, development partners, and multinational companies, selling Kaduna's potential and trying to persuade them to invest in the state.
Then he narrated an incident that, in his opinion, perfectly captured Mallam's attitude, and why it is impossible for Mallam to dabble in to public funds.
Within his first year in office, Mallam travelled to Singapore to meet prospective investors. Like every official foreign trip, his estacodes and DTA accumulated over the trip. When the necessary documentation was processed, the total amount came to about $56,000, and the payment file was forwarded to him for approval.
To the surprise of those handling the payment, Mallam declined. Because the prospective investors who invited him had taken full responsibility for the trip. They paid for his flights, accommodation, and other expenses. Since Kaduna State did not bear the cost of the trip, he believed it would be wrong to receive estacodes and DTA from public funds for expenses he never incurred. He instructed that the payment should not be made.
The former AG told me that moments like that reinforced the confidence many members of the administration had in his leadership, and that's when the bad eggs knew it's not business as usual.
Today, they want us to believe this same man took $4000, or $3000 of public funds. How?
We know the kind of leader Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was in Kaduna. For many of us, stories like these explain why we continue to stand firmly with him through his current travails.
VIDEO: Angry Residents of Anchau town in Kubau LGA, Kaduna State, confronted heavily armed bandits terr0rists who try to invade their town, the terrorists abandoned their plan after failing to disperse the angry Youths, despite firing multiple shots.
"Operation don't be a coward"🔥🔥
Tonight begins Muharram 1448 AH.
Most people know it as the Islamic New Year.
Few realize it is one of the most profound months in the entire Islamic calendar. Here’s all you need to know and do;
From Mali to Burkina Faso to Niger to Zamfara, Katsina and the Chad basin, these bikes have proven to be the primary modes of mobility for bandits, terrorists and other criminal groups. A political leader buying and sharing them in such huge numbers shows one not in touch with our security realities. If possible, these bikes should be banned as they've proven to be threats to our national security..
إنا لله وانا اليه راجعون
This is to inform the Muslim Ummah of Salatul Janazah (Funeral Prayer) at the National Mosque, Abuja.
Today, Saturday 13th June, 2026, After Zuhr Prayer by 1:30pm
Female: Hajiya Fatima Ladi Binta Musa Musawa
(Mother to Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, Honorable Minister Art , Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy).
May Almighty Allah forgive and grant her Aljannatul Firdausi. Aamiin.
Interment: Gudu Cemetery, Abuja