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Tag: Shehu Shagari

  • SHEHU SHAGARI (1925-2018) APC: a fine patriot gone

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole yesterday described  the late Second Republic elected President Alhaji Shehu Shagari “as a fine gentleman, patriot, epitome of humility”.

    In a tribute yesterday, Oshiomhole said: “The late Alhaji Shehu  Shagari, who from 1979 to 1983, was the first executive president of Nigeria, is being remembered in several glowing tributes by the ordinary Nigerian, institutions and leaders – locally and internationally.

    “Our great party, the All Progressives congress (APC), fondly remembers the late Shagari as a fine gentleman, patriot, epitome of humility, poet, technocrat, servant-leader and an elder statesman, who genuinely loved Nigeria.

    “The career and political projection of the late Shagari, who started out as a school teacher, who later joined politics, held numerous high offices, culminating in his election as the President  under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was the stuff of legends.”

    He added: “His exemplary conduct, candour and principled stance in public office and private life remains an inspiration to many. The late Shagari was a stabilising personality who was ever ready to lend his voice and influence when the country needed it.

    “The country has indeed lost a rare-breed leader. While the death of the late Shagari is a sad and painful loss to the family, Sokoto State, the Council of State and indeed the entire nation, we should take solace in the fact that he lived an impactful life. The late Shagari long wrote his name into the history books. Truly, the story of our democratic and political development will be inconclusive without his footprint.”

  • Tambuwal declares public holiday to pray for Shagari

    Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state, has declared Monday, Dec. 31, as public holiday in the state to enable residents offer special prayer for the repose of the soul of former President, Shehu Shagari.

    This is contained in a statement by Tambuwal’s Director General, Media and Public Affairs, Malam Abubakar Shekara, and issued to newsmen on Saturday in Sokoto.

    Tambuwal said that the declaration followed consultation with the Sultanate Council.

    “The state government therefore, requests Imams across Sokoto and the general public to dedicate the day for special prayers for the repose of the soul of the former President and for peace and progress of the nation at large.

    “The government also directs all flags at public and private premises be flown at half mast in honor of the late former President, Shehu Shagari,” it said. (NAN)

  • Shagari buried in Sokoto

    Former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, was on Saturday buried in his hometown, Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto state.

    Shagari, who passed on Friday at the age of 93, was interred at exactly 3.30pm after the funeral prayers led by Professor Shehu Galadanchi, former Vice Chancellor, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.

    His corpse had arrived at the Sultan Abubakar airport, Sokoto earlier and was received by Governor Aminu Tambuwal, alongside members of the state executive counci.

    Read Also: Ex-President Shagari dies at 93

    Dignitaries who attended the funeral prayers included delegations from the Federal government led by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to Government of the Federation, and governors of  Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

    The former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa was also in attendance alongside  former Independent National Electoral Commission chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, Waziri Sokoto, Professor Junaid Walk, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, former Minister, Mukhtar Shagari, and others.

  • Shagari’s body leaves Abuja

    The body of late former President, Shehu Shagari, on Saturday left Abuja, en route Sokoto State, his hometown for burial.

    According to Channels Television, his body will be received by the Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal before being transported to his hometown in Shagari Local Government Area of the state.

     

  • Fayemi: Shagari was a man of peace

    Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has commiserated with the government and people of Sokoto State, the Sokoto Caliphate and family of the first executive President of the Country,  Alhaji Shehu Shagari, on the passing of  the ex-President on Friday, aged 93.

    Dr Fayemi, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Yinka Oyebode, described Alhaji Shagari as a man of peace, who lived an exemplary simple life style.

    The governor said Shagari, through the various positions he held since 1951 when he became the Secretary of the Northern People’s Congress in Sokoto, till his presidency between 1979 and 1983, played very significant roles in the socio-political growth and development of Nigeria.

    Read Also: IBB mourns Former President Shagari

    Dr Fayemi said the late Shagari was a true example of a leader who loved peace and pursued it with all his might. “Until he breathed his last continued to render invaluable support to successive administrations at the various levels of government in the country”.

    He said the late Shagari earned greater respect as an elder statesman because of his simple life style, which endeared him to many.

    “We shall miss this great and amiable leader, who abhorred politics of bitterness.

    “ I convey the condolences of my family, the good people of Ekiti State to the Shagari family, the Sokoto caliphate, the government and people of Sokoto State for the passing and pray that Almighty Allah grant him Aljannah firdous”.

     

  • Obasanjo: Shagari played key role in Nigeria’s independence politics

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday extolled the late former president, Shehu Shagari’s role in Nigeria’s pre- and post-independence politics.

    Obasanjo gave the eulogy in a condolence letter addressed to Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state,  a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta.

    He described late Shagari as a humble, patriotic, amiable and notable Nigerian leader.

    Obasanjo expressed his deep respect for the achievements of the late Shagari in the course of his long life, describing him as one of the principal actors in Nigeria’s pre-independence and post-independence politics.

    “It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to say how deeply grieved I was to hear of the death of His Excellency, President Shehu Usman Shagari.

    Read Also: I differ with Amosun on Ogun’s next governor- Obasanjo

    “On behalf of my family and on my own behalf, I wish to commiserate with you, the entire members of his family and the good people of Sokoto State over the passing of this humble, patriotic, amiable and notable Nigerian leader.

    “He held various positions as a parliamentarian in the Federal House of Representatives representing Sokoto West in 1954, as a Parliamentarian Secretary 1958-1959, as a Federal Minister and Commissioner in different ministries and capacities between 1959 and 1975.

    “I remember his role as Commissioner for Finance, while he and I served in the government of General Yakubu Gowon. He was thorough.

    “And later, I saw him as my successor in government as a democratically-elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983.

    “In all his national assignments, he was forthright, dedicated and showed great commitment in the discharge of his duties.

    “He was a unifying force for the nation and his contribution to the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria cannot easily be forgotten.

    “In all situations, he lived nobly and he died in nobility.

    “President Shagari died at a time the country and its leadership is in dire need of such leadership, experience and wisdom to tackle the multi-faceted challenges facing the nation.

    “While expressing our sympathies to you, the family of the deceased and the government and people of Sokoto State, we pray the Almighty Allah grant him eternal rest and give comfort to all those he left behind,” Obasanjo said.

    NAN

  • Shagari’s counsel on national issues will be missed — Okowa

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State said on Saturday that Nigeria would greatly miss the late former President Shehu Shagari’s regular counsel on national issues and mediations for peaceful coexistence.

    Okowa made this known in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Charles Aniagwu in Asaba.

    “Shagari, embarked on the distribution of seed and fertilizer to farmers to increase nationwide productivity in farming.

    “He was a legendary public servant, who dedicated his life to the service of our nation in several capacities – as minister, legislator, and finally as president.

    “Shagari’s unwavering commitment to the unity of Nigeria had been a major encouragement to many governments.

    “He made personal sacrifices to help lay the foundation for sustainable democracy in Nigeria before he was overthrown in 1983.

    “As a country, we will miss his wise counsel on national issues and peaceful co-existence especially now that the nation is entering an election year,” Okowa said.

    Read Also: Okowa condemns murder of ex-CDS

    He added that the late Shagari worked assiduously to improve the livelihood of many poor and underprivileged people through the Green Revolution programme, which he initiated.

    “Our condolences to Nigerians, the Government and people of Sokoto State and Shagari’s family over the demise of the former president.

    “We commiserate with the entire Shagari village, the Sokoto Caliphate, and the Shagari family, over the loss of the ex-President.

    “On behalf of my family, the government and people of Delta State, I join the entire nation and the people of Sokoto State to mourn the passing of former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who was President in the Second Republic,” he said.

    The governor prayed the almighty God to receive his soul and grant his family the fortitude to bear the loss.

    NAN

  • Breaking: Former President Shehu Shagari dies at 93

    Former President, Shehu Shagari is dead.

    He died Friday evening at about 6:30pm at the National Hospital, Abuja after a brief illness at the age of 93.

    Disclosing the news of the death of the elder statesman, Nura Mahe, his grandson said the late Shagari was hospitalised at the National Hospital last Tuesday, December 25th before his demise.

    Another grandson, Bello Shagari confirmed in a tweet.

    Bello wrote: “I regret announcing the death of my grandfather, H.E Alhaji Shehu Shagari, who died right now after a brief illness at the National hospital, Abuja.”

    The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal also confirmed the report on his Twitter handle.

    He said: “I regret to announce the death of former President Shehu Shagari who just passed away at National Hospital Abuja. May his Soul Rest in Peace.”

    Shagari according to Wikipedia was born in 1925 in the northern Shagari village founded by his great-grandfather, Ahmadu Rufa’i, who was also the Village Head and took the name Shagari as his family name. His father’s name is Aliyu and his mother’s name is Mariamu.

    His name, Usman, means “companion”. He was raised in a polygamous family and was the sixth child born into the family. Prior to becoming Magajin Shagari (magajin means village head), Aliyu, Shehu’s father was a farmer, trader and herder. However, due to traditional rites that prevented rulers from participating in business, Aliyu relinquished some of his trading interest when he became the Magaji, or village head, of Shagari village. Aliyu died five years after Shehu’s birth, and Shehu’s elder brother, Bello, briefly took on his father’s mantle as Magajin Shagari.

    Shagari started his education in a Quranic school and then went to live with relatives at a nearby town, where from 1931-1935 he attended Yabo elementary school. In 1936-1940, he went to Sokoto for middle school, and then from 1941-1944 he attended Kaduna College.

    In 1954, Shehu Shagari was elected into his first public office as a member of the federal House of Representative for Sokoto west. In 1958, Shagari was appointed as parliamentary secretary (he left the post in 1959) to the Nigerian Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and that year he also served as the Federal Minister for commerce and Industries.

    From 1959-1960, Shagari was redeployed to the ministry for economic development, as the Federal Minister for Economic Development. In 1960-1962, he was moved to the Pensions ministry as the Federal Minister for Pensions. From 1962-1965, Shagari was made the Federal minister for internal affairs. From 1965 up until the first military coup in January 1966, Shagari was the Federal Minister for works.

    In 1967 he was appointed as the secretary for Sokoto province education development fund. From 1968-1969, Shagari was given a state position in the North Western State as commissioner for establishments.

    After the Nigerian civil war, from 1970-1971, Shagari was appointed by the military head of state General Yakubu Gowon as the federal commissioner for economic development, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

    From 1971-75 he served as the Federal commissioner (a position now called minister) of finance. During his tenure as the commissioner of finance for Nigeria, Shagari was also a governor for the world bank and a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) committee of twenty.

    In 1978, Shehu Shagari was a founding member of the National People’s Party. In 1979 Shagari was chosen by the party as the presidential candidate for the general election that year, which he won becoming the president and head of state of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Shagari ran for a second four-year term in 1983 and won the general election, however, on 31 December 1983, Shagari was overthrown by major general Muhammadu Buhari.

     

  • Adamu to Obasanjo: You are pushing your luck too far

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on Wednesday said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is pushing his luck too far over his constant attack of President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Adamu who represents Nasarawa West Senatorial District called attention to what he described as Obasanjo’s “indecorous” and “undignified” criticisms of President Buhari.

    He noted that while Obasanjo was entitled to criticize and also campaign against the reelection bid of President Buhari, he should not be “pedestrian in doing that.”

    Chief Obasanjo was reported to have said that contrary to insinuations, he could not be neutral in the choice of who emerges as president of Nigeria in the 2019 presidential election.

    Read Also: Obasanjo is confused, says Presidency

     The former President was also reported to have said that he would not sit on the fence when he needed to be active for people to know where he stands in the best interest of the country.

    Chief Obasanjo is said to have insisted that “only a fool will sit on the fence or be neutral when his or her country is being destroyed with incompetence, corruption, lack of focus, insecurity, nepotism, brazen impunity and denial of the obvious.”

    Senator Adamu who reacted to the comments credited to Obasanjo said that there was no doubt that “Chief Obasanjo is pushing his luck too far by using indecorous language in criticizing the President (Buhari).

    The Nasarawa West lawmaker noted that “After all, what was his (Obasanjo’s) record in Office when he ran this country first from February 1976 to October 1979, and subsequently from May 1999 to May 2007?”

    Adamu asked, “Would there have been the desperate and notoriously corrupt bid for a third term in office that was witnessed by Nigerians, if he had a good record by then?”

    According to Adamu, under Obasanjo’s watch, most of Nigeria’s strategic investments were sold without much to show as returns to the nation.

    He said, “What happened to all our steel rolling mills and other strategic investments that were sold by (former Vice President) Atiku (Abubakar) under Obasanjo’s supervision?

    “What about the $16 billion spent under his watch supposedly for electricity? Where is the electricity today? He also acquired stupendous wealth during his second coming as president. How did he acquire that? Could that have come from his salaries as president from 1999 to 2007?”

    The former Nasarawa State Governor s insisted that no Nigerian of repute who knows Obasanjo’s antecedents will be surprised at his current criticism of President Buhari.

    “He had done it to Alhaji Shehu Shagari shortly after he handed over to him. Obasanjo criticized Babangida when he was in power; he did same to Abacha. And so, nothing is surprising,” Adamu said,

     The frontline campaigner for President Buhari reelection said that “ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered about Obasanjo’s criticisms given what is already out in the public space about the morally questionable happenings within his household.

    “But he is going off the tangent of fair comment in this circumstance, and I believe eminent citizens of this country need to call him to order before some of the young people he thinks he can fool start casting slur on him”.

    Adamu noted Obasanjo needed to learn some lessons in decorum from past leaders like General Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, as well as Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar.

    For the lawmaker, it is an abuse of rights for someone who is regarded as a statesman to be indecorous in his language.

    He said, “Like I said, he is entitled to criticise Buhari and even campaign against him.

    “Nobody can deny him that right. But must he descend to this ridiculously undignified level for him to be heard?”

    “It is unacceptable for someone whom the youths of this country should look up to for inspiration to stoop so low in his language”.

     Adamu who said that Nigerians “cannot be fooled” by Obasanjo’s “grandstanding in an effort to cover up his misdemeanors.”

    He stressed that the unprintable words that the former president had used to tar former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the book “My Watch” are still fresh in the minds of Nigerians.

     Chief Obasanjo, he said, “should go back and make peace with his Creator before turning round to dish out some homilies to citizens of this great country.”

  • Sani Abacha: Remembering the despot 20 years after

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Twenty years ago today, precisely, 8 June 1998, the former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, died mysteriously in office.

    Dismissing reports that the Kano-born artillery soldier died after eating a poisoned apple from one of his mistresses, former chief Security Officer to the late Head of State. Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), had claimed in 2017 that the late Abacha’s health system collapsed “immediately after one of the security operatives that accompanied the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, shook hands with him.”

    The ex-Nigerian strongman became unconscious and died few hours later.

    While tears flowed freely at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, there were celebrations and dancing in Lagos and  other cities across the country.

    Abacha is widely remembered in Nigeria and across the world for his style of government.

    He was a man of few words, but deadly actions. Born on the 20th of September, 1943 in the ancient city of Kano, he announced the coup that sacked the administration of ex-President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983 and brought Major-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to power.

    He also announced the then Chief of Army Staff, Major-Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, as the new military President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in an evening broadcast on August 27, 1985.

    That coup speech was read by Brig. Joshua Nimyel Dogonyaro.

    Abacha was appointed the Minister of Defence in 1990.

    Read Also: Abacha as President Buhari’s hero?

    He took over power on November 17, 1993 after a Federal High Court in Lagos had declared the Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan as illegal.

    The ING was put in place by the Babangida’s administration following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election presumed to have been won by the late billionaire businessman, Chief MKO Abiola.

    The Abacha cabinet comprised of several prominent politicians – Bamanga Tukur, Lateef Jakande, Adamu Ciroma, Jim Nwobodo, Babagana Kingibe, who was Abiola’s running mate; Uche Chukwumerije and Solomon Lar.

    It is unfair to accuse the Abacha regime as completely negative. This is because the regime stabilized the Nigeria economy. In four years (1993 to 1997), Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserve rose from $494 million to $9.6 billion and the external debt of the country was reduced from $36 billion in 1993 to $27 billion in 1997.

    It should also be recalled that the inflation rate of 54 per cent inherited from the Ibrahim Babangida’s administration was reduced to 8.5 per cent between 1993 and 1998 under Abacha.

    Abacha increased the price of petrol just once in his four-and-a-half years stint in office and set up the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund, which was widely acknowledged to have performed well in infrastructural development and intervention programmes in education, health and water.

    In sports, Nigeria excelled under Abacha. For the first time, Nigeria earned gold medals in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics including the much coveted one in football.

    He personally phoned the players and other sportsmen and women during these competitions. He motivated them and they in turn won laurels for Nigeria under the then Sports Minister, Chief Jim Nwobodo.

    In 2014, the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration chose Abacha as one of Nigeria’s greatest heroes for “unity, patriotism and national development.”

    However, he is remembered for his scarce public appearance and refusal to grant interviews or allow the publication of any personal information about him and developed a habit of working only at night.

    He had informed Nigerians during his national broadcast, on assumption to power in 1993, that his regime would be “firm, humane and decisive” and any attempt to test the will of the regime will be decisively dealt with.

    And he lived up to these words, with the continued arrest and detention of journalists and Nigerians that criticized his regime. Between 1995 and 1996, at least 200 senior officers were sacked, including the first Chief of Army Staff, Chris Alli.

    His successor, Ibrahim Alkali, was also fired on grounds of outspokenness. The killing of the Ogoni nine still remain fresh in the minds of Nigerians, with the international community tagging Nigeria “a pariah state.”

    Abacha also jailed prominent Nigerians like Sheu Yar’Adua, Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief MKO Abiola (winner of the June 12 1993 elections), for revolting against his regime.

    Yar’Adua and Abiola later died in prison.

    Abacha was also accused of looting the treasury, stashing the funds abroad, especially in Switzerland.

    Adeyinka Akintunde is a graduate of Philosophy from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria. A social commentator and Online Reporter