Shehu Shagari: Death of a humble but remarkable political leader
Shehu Shagari: Death of a humble but remarkable political leader
By Mike Ebonugwo
Though well advanced in age, the death of Second Republic President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, on Friday did not fail to elicit reactions of regret and sorrow across a broad spectrum of the Nigerian populace. The reason for this is not far to seek.
The humble and unassuming elder statesman was a major participant in the history making processes of Nigeria’s development right from the First Republic to the day he eventually surrendered to the cold hands of death at the ripe age of 93.
Though small in stature, Shehu Shagari was a man of gigantic accomplishments in almost all spheres of life, especially in activities bordering on politics and leadership.
Indeed, he was a man who made his presence felt in all aspects of public life, at different times serving the country at state and federal levels as local government councillor, state commissioner, member of the Constituent Assembly and to top it all, First Executive President of Nigeria.
Born in May 1925 at Shagari Village, Sokoto State. He was raised in a polygamous family, and was the sixth child born into the family. His father, Aliyu, who was a farmer, trader and herder later became Magajin Shagari (magajin means village head).
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. He died five years after Shehu’s birth, and Shehu’s elder brother, Bello, briefly took on his father’s mantle as Magajin Shagari.
Shehu Shagari attended Korani School, elementary school in Yabo, Sokoto Middle School and Kaduna College. Showing early interest to be a science teacher, he later took an administrative course at Bauchi Teachers College and in the United Kingdom under the sponsorship of the British Council.
But in spite of this interest in teaching, it was not long before his interest in politics became evident. It all began in 1945 when he organised a youth social circle which mobilised youth against British imperialism.
Thereafter, he became the founder-member of the Northern Peoples Congress, NPC. Subsequently, he took part in all the conferences that gave birth to the Richard and Mcpherson Constitutions at both federal and regional levels.
His participation in all these political processes obviously paid dividends as he won elections to represent Sokoto West in the Federal House of Representatives in 1954. It did not stop there. From 1954 to 1958, he was a member of the Federal Scholarship Board.
In the same 1958, he attended a parliamentary course at Westminster, London which enabled him to obtain a certificate in parliamentary procedure. The reward for this was that on his return to Nigeria, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister. Other appointments soon followed as following his re-election into the Federal parliament in 1959, he was immediately appointed the first Federal Minister of Economic Development. He later became the Minister of Establishment and Training and was credited for making great efforts to Nigerianise the civil service. He also served as minister in many other departments.
Following the 1966 coup and its disastrous after effects, Shehu Shagari was forced to return to his 400 acre farm at Shagari and subsequently took up his first love: education. Part of his efforts to empower his people was to establish a voluntary organisation known as the Sokoto Province Development Fund, which was reputed to have within two years, built 110 primary schools and three secondary schools.
Obviously in recognition of his efforts in this regard, he was made a member of the Consultative Committee within the Northern Group of States and a member of the Northern State Marketing Board in 1967.
That was just the beginning of more appointments to come. From 1968 to 1970, he served as a state Commissioner for Establishment and later as State Commissioner for Education in the then North West states. Then in June 1970, Shagari joined the Federal Cabinet as Federal Commissioner for Economic Development, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation.
It was in this capacity that he supervised the rehabilitation and reconstruction activities of Nigeria after the bloody and destructive civil war that lasted three years.
As if that was not enough, in 1971, he was appointed the Federal Commissioner for Finance, and in this capacity, he was a governor of the African Development Bank, a Director of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and a member of the Commiittee of 20 of the IMF. It was also the same year that in recognition of his accomplishments while serving his country that the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of the Law.
But Shehu Shagari was again forced to return to Sokoto following the military coup of 1975. But like the golden fish that has no hiding place, the Sokoto State government had in 1976 appointed him chairman of the Sokoto Urban development Board. The same year, the Federal Government appointed him Chairman of Peugeot Automobile Limited.
It was also the same year he won the local elections into Yabo Local government council and in 1977, was elected to the Constituent Assembly. Thereafter, he became a founder-member of the National Movement of Nigeria, which later developed into a political party, the National Party of Nigeria, NPN. The Constituent Assembly was dissolved in September 1978 and by August 1979, Alhaji Shehu Shagari was declared President-Elect by the Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO.
For many political observers at the time, Shagari’s emergence as his party’s presidential flagbearer and subsequently as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was like a bolt from the blues, a development that left many shell-shocked by its unexpected impact. Indeed, according to the late Dr Chuba Okadigbo, who served as Shagari’s Political Adviser at the time: “Before and during the sessions of this Assembly, Shagari stated that he only wanted to be a senator in the Second Republic and during the presidential elections campaign, he spoke of and showed signs of reluctance to lead Nigeria”
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