Attahiru Ahmad Sifawa
Two days ago, there was widespread outcry on the social media over the unfortunate disconnection of the house of former President Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari GCFR, from the National Grid by the Electricity Distribution Company.
Many people lamented the insensitivity of the Company as well as the seeming neglect of the onetime number one family by the concerned authorities.
It is a well-known fact that Federal Government of Nigeria is responsible for the basic needs of past Presidents.
Whether that also extends beyond their lifetime, by which authority and for how long? That is not sufficiently clear to the lamenting citizens, as the concerned authorities keep mute in providing the necessary information.
It is probable that these questions may likely fall within some of the gaps as regards legal provisions on the welfare of Nigeria’s past Presidents after their death.
In any case, the unfortunate incident may likely trigger thought and likely policy provisions to prevent future occurrence.
The timely intervention by the Presidency over the matter is however commendable.
Important as the incidence and its aftermath, as they may be, there is quite more important matter which supposed to engage the attention of the citizens as regards to either conscious or unconscious neglect, the person of late Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, GCFR, (Turakin Sokoto), the first Executive President of Nigeria suffers from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Kaduna Electricity Disconnects Late President Shagari’s House Over Debt
It has been the usual practice by the Federal Government, like elsewhere around the world, that whenever a senior citizen, like a former President dies, steps are usually taken to immortalize him. It is usually a mark of honour and appreciation over his service to the nation and humanity. The common and easiest practice has been to name certain public institutions/places after him.
It is unfortunate to note that more than two years after the death of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the Federal Government has not done anything to immortalize him despite the promise by President Muhammadu Buhari. I believe Mr President has likely forgotten, but one must be puzzled by the insensitivity of the Ministry or Agency concerned, thus leading to this expensive oversight.
It was on record that after the death of late Chief Alex Ikwame, Vice President of the late Shagari, he was accorded state burial and immediately immortalized by naming a Federal University after him by the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Now more than two years after the death of his boss, President Shehu Shagari, the same administration has consciously or sub-consciously failed to take any step towards immortalizing him. If there is anything worth lamentation by the citizens it should be this unfortunate neglect not the regular payment of electricity bill for the house of the former President Shagari.
On its part, the Sokoto State Government under Rt. Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR has started doing its part by upgrading the Prestigious Shehu Shagari College of Education Sokoto to a University, retaining the name of late President Shagari (Shehu Shagari University of Education Sokoto). It is never late than never. I will like to commend Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for taking such a step and enjoined the Federal Government to follow suit.
But still, I wish to suggest that the Sokoto State Government’s House be named after the late Shagari as ‘Shehu Shagari House’. The Government should also facilitate the taking over of the Shehu Shagari World Institute for Leadership and Good Governance by the Sokoto State University, Sokoto in addition to instituting/ endowing a Professorial Chair of Political Science in the same University, in his name.
It is noteworthy to mention that late Shehu Shagari as much symbolized astute public servant and educationist as he symbolized Democracy in Nigeria. He was a legendary nationalist figure and a Political Schema. As far back as the 1940s, in his twentieth, Shahu Shagari co-founded Youth Social Circle (YSC), a nationalist organization in Sokoto Province, Northern Nigeria. An active member of the defunct Northern People’s Congress (NPC), a member of the National Assembly (Federal House of Representatives) as well as a Federal Minister during the First Republic, before crowning it all as the First Executive President of Nigeria during the Second Republic.
In the Public service, particularly education which throughout his life remained his primary area of interest, Shehu Shagari was a Teacher at the Sokoto Middle School and had the privilege of serving as a language Instructor to white British Colonial Officers during the Colonial period. He was the founding Head Master of Senior Primary School at Argungu in 1950 and was onetime Senior Visiting Teacher (equivalent of Chief Inspector of Education) in the whole of Sokoto Provice (the present day Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara State) in the 1940s. In the Post-Independence period, Shagari was a pillar in the efforts to integrate Islamic Education with western education which led to the establishment of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) Primary Schools in Sokoto Province. After the fall of the First Republic, Shagari came down to serve as the Commissioner of Education in the defunct North-Western State (present day Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger States). Untill his death, he continued to serve as Chairman of the Sokoto Education Trust Fund.
I will like to humbly suggest to the Federal Government to consider naming the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos and Kaduna Airport after the late President Shehu Shagari, as; ‘Shehu Shagari National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos’ and ‘Shehu Shagari International Airport Kaduna’, respectively. The Government can also look at other similar proposals in order to accord the late President the honour he deserves.
Despite whatever shortcomings that one may identify during his Presidency, given the time and resources available, it is not an exaggeration that the Administration of late Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari had arguably performed better that any of the successive administration that came after him in areas of patriotism; national sprit; selflessness and devotion to public service; infrastructure development; purposeful public policies, and lots more. He was in many respect, the nation’s last touch with its legendary nationalist figures and founding fathers.
May Allah forgive late President Shehu Shagari his mistakes, continue to bless his family and grant him Jannatul firdaus.
Attahiru Ahmad Sifawa, PhD.
Department of History,
Sokoto State University, Sokoto
