By Dr Attahiru Ahmad Sifawa
Two days ago, there was widespread outcry on the social media over the unfortunate disconnection of the house of late President Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari from the national grid by the Kaduna 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, is not sufficiently clear to the lamenting citizens because the concerned authorities kept mute in providing the necessary information. These questions may likely fall within some of the gaps as regards provisions on the welfare of Nigeria’s past presidents after their death. In any case, the unfortunate incident may likely trigger thought and 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 is 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.
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, which led to this expensive oversight.
It was on record that after the death of late Chief Alex Ekwueme, the Nigeria’s vice president during 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 Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, 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. It is commendable for governor Tambuwal to take such a step and the Federal government should follow suit.
It is suggestable also that the Sokoto State Government’s House be named after the late Shagari. Government should also direct Sokoto State University to take over the Shehu Shagari World Institute for Leadership and Good Governance, in addition to instituting/endowing a Professorial Chair of Political Science in the same University, in his name.
It is worthy of note that the late Shehu Shagari as much a symbolized astute public servant and educationist as he symbolized Democracy in Nigeria. He was a legendary nationalist 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. He was 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 the British Colonial Officers. He was the founding Head Master of Senior Primary School at Argungu in 1950 and was Senior Visiting Teacher (equivalent of Chief Inspector of Education) in the whole of Sokoto Province (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 to 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). Until 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 could 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 to say that the administration of late Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari had unarguably performed better than any of the successive administration in areas of patriotism; national spirit; 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.
Dr Sifawa is of the Department of History, Sokoto State University.
