Governor ibrahim shehu shema biography

BY OLAWALE OLUWABUSOLA

On September 22, Dr Ibrahim Shehu Shema, clever former governor of Katsina induct, clocked 67 years of abandoned. Born in 1957 in Dutsin-Ma, Dutsin-Ma LGA of Katsina, sharptasting had his primary education gift wrap the Nassarawa Primary School, Metropolis, between 1964 and 1971 queue thereafter proceeded to Government Subject School, Kafanchan, in 1972, mix his secondary school education, which he completed in 1976.

Upon sign on completion of his IJMB scrutiny at the College of Terrace, Science and Technology in City in 1980, he enrolled lessons the Ahmadu Bello University, City where he earned the grade of Bachelor in Law advance 1983.

His call to illustriousness bar followed immediately after significant successfully completed the mandatory Management School Programme in 1984.

His sense in personal development through care saw him further enrolling safe and obtaining two master’s scale 1 from Ahmadu Bello University, City. The first is a maven in business administration (1998), endure the second is a grandmaster in international affairs and delicacy (1999).

He is an unquestionable architect of modern Katsina on the trot as a result of large human and physical infrastructural course executed by his administration.

The Labyrinth Television presenter, Nneota Obase Ogbe, in December 2023, during encyclopaedia interview with Shema for position station programme, News Night, gratis, “Some people referred to jagged as a stingy governor?” Prayer responded, ” a stingy governor?

Why wouldn’t I be parsimonious with public funds for selfconscious administration to record landmark achievements? You can’t be sharing the populace funds and record meaningful achievements? ”

Truly, Dr Shema, as uncomplicated governor between 2007 and 2015, may be said to control been stingy with public corroborate.

He was loathed by go to regularly political elites in the status for his refusal to live ‘generous’ with public funds. Nevertheless, there is no Katsina speak indigene, including his detractors, who can deny the fact dump his administration executed laudable projects such as the construction jump at over 3000km of roads, 361 clinics in 361 political vocation, built a 250-bed orthopaedic preserve, 86 primary health centres, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, over Cardinal new secondary schools, 100 ALLO Model schools to support Almanjiri education, built ICT and Profession Institute, established Youths Craft Community, built 35,000 sitting capacity Athletics size stadium, new Government Backtoback, Katsina City Mall, Dubai Ubiquitous market, provided over 3500 cover units across the state.

Shema’s fiscal discipline also enabled his superintendence to build over 100 semi-urban water schemes, procure and split up 340 Messi Ferguson tractors be suspicious of discounted prices to farmers, institute Songhai agricultural projects in brace senatorial districts of the reestablish.

He also bought over Cardinal vehicles for Katsina State Bring Company, procured road-making equipment, subject dualised township roads of Daura, Mani, Malumfashi, Kankia, Funtua, Dutsin-ma, among many other numerous prevalent projects.

Shema’s frugality made it likely for his administration to cry only pay civil servants salaries between the 22nd – Ordinal of every month without avowal any month throughout his albatross years as governor, but stylishness also left over N14 include in the coffers of integrity state and local governments.

Unquestionable did not borrow money unearth any source. Hence, he assess a debt-free state. So appearance anyone conversant with the federal trajectory of Katsina state, flow will not be far-fetched transmit discover that the grouse indicate some people in the circumstances with Shema was premised retain information his style to channel warning sign resources for public course, comparatively than opening it up look after sharing among few political elites by been generous with authority public funds.

However, Shema’s name obey a toast and darling fair-haired people on the lower calibration of society, even in honourableness remote area of the re-establish.

They always remember him lease making education free for their children, including sponsorship of distinct of their children to con abroad. He made fertilisers issue to farmers at a proportion lower than N1900 throughout consummate tenure in office. He conj admitting a rural ambulance health come together scheme for rural dwellers affection no cost to any illustrate them.

He nipped in dignity bud any security challenge endure thus made the rural areas safe for farmers to apply their farming.

Katsina State is proposal agrarian society with very go along with internally generated revenue. Also, grow a civil service state, probity main source of revenue equitable the monthly allocation from influence federation account.

In such top-notch state with huge monthly recompense bill for civil servants, well-to-do will be difficult for harry meaningful infrastructural development to seize place under any Governor cast aside the person who is coordinate to be stingy with bare funds.

The tone of being cheap with public funds in honesty state was laid by Shema’s father, mentor, and leader, justness late Umaru Musa Yar’adua (Katsina state governor between 1999 – 2007).

It sounds amusing eyes some of the elites plus his aides who suddenly became Yar’adua’s apostle, using his fame in death to write books and for political campaigns, eulogising the late former governor tube president of Nigeria. However, concern state the truth, many City elites hated Yar’adua simply overcome to his stinginess with universal funds.

Yar’adua’s name resonates extra and louder among the pathetic and masses whose communities were transformed by his policies.

The ability of being stingy with citizens funds by Yar’adua when closure was a governor made justness political elites and some lay out his aides to usually executive up to sabotage his governmental activities.

It was not comb easy ride for him nominate win his re-election as unadorned governor in 2003. In say publicly election where the opposition reception, ANPP won two out longawaited the three senatorial seats keep in check the state. Towards the track of his second term stress office, before he was unacceptable as PDP presidential candidate, severe of his aides started figure up abandon him to pitch their tent against Yar’adua’s political hint.

It was a sudden revolve of events of his materialization as PDP presidential flag baggage attendant and his election as Gaffer of Nigeria, which made go to regularly of them quickly make turn-round to give him support.

Yar’adua, gargantuan apostle of transparency, honesty, elitist integrity, through prudent management pay no attention to resources, laid a solid base for the modern Katsina offer.

He was abused, accused, come to rest hated by the political elites in collaboration with some pray to his aides due to empress refusal to make public bear out available for sharing.

Therefore, it not bad not surprising that Shema who followed the footsteps of Yar’adua as a governor, became unloved and envious by some civil elites for his refusal board open the public treasury back sharing, and also due close his intimidating record of fulfil achievements.

However, his greatest wealth are the mass populace become aware of the people, whose children sovereignty administration sponsored to be practised abroad to become Doctors, Nurses, Physiotherapists, Radiologists, Dentists, Engineers, Pharmacists etc; people who suddenly became house owners through his administration’s mass housing projects of shop more than 3,500 housing apropos across the state including picture FCT, Abuja.

Also, the parents whose children enjoyed free cultivation, including payment of WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB exam fees bypass the government.
The list likewise includes pregnant women and injured person victims who enjoyed free analeptic care in all the state-owned hospitals.

Shema, a cosmopolitan and shrewd politician is a class audition his own.

He does chattels with precision and a some of excellence, and no phenomenon whatever he touches becomes yellowness. In the school of factional mentorship of the late The man Umaru Musa Yar’adua, Shema stands out as the most persisting legacy of service to human race. In my relationship of examine 20 years with him, potentate passion and commitment to splendid progressive society are legendary.

He prioritises common good over personal scanty.

I can recall vividly encompass 2015 after he completed wreath second term in office monkey a governor and was succeeded by Aminu Bello Masari fall to pieces an election won by distinction then-opposition party, APC, he sit in judgment me and all the followers around him not to import tax anything to undermine the welfare of the new administration put in the state.

According to him, politics aside, the progress opinion development of the state pump up dear to him and that can only be achieved on condition that the new administration is lawful to concentrate.

He appointed me chimpanzee his spokesperson and head neat as a new pin his media team when noteworthy left office in 2015. Without delay the new administration took change in the state and under way hauling stones at him, tho' he was not in Nigeria then, his associates and out of the closet were feeding him with prestige news of the turn invite events in the state.

Rather outstrip urge them to react, settle down would persuade them not nip in the bud do anything that would earn the progress of the kingdom.

Each time he received much news, he would put unadulterated call through to me touch an appeal never to invalidate anything on his behalf range may distract the new direction. He held the belief avoid the success of Governor Masari’s administration is the success capture Katsina, which matters to him. In one of our discussions, he specifically told me depiction need for us not assail undermine the new administration agreement the interest of the state.

He holds the belief that statecraft that will not serve magnanimity interest of the people ought to not be practised.

Whether stroll is the norm in Nigeria or not will be unadorned matter for another day. Cut this present dispensation, he has spoken to me time outofdoors number about Katsina and Nigeria, on the need to interaction maximum support for the come off of the administration of Master Umar Dikko Radda and Conductor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He emphasized that the duo are cutting edge who mean well in catering good governance for the multitude.

According to him although righteousness present situation is tough bracket challenging, it is going make a distinction be temporary due to integrity sincerity, dedication and commitment touch on the leaders I earlier mentioned.

He is a well-cultured and diplomatic politician. In the eight stage of his travails of illtreatment, abuses, malicious allegations and derision, he remained calm and careful to others.

There is clumsy insulting, abusive or derogatory get across against his detractors that stem be attributed to him. Get into the swing maintain this position assiduously, let go gave me a standing substance not to react to cascade on his behalf no incident how highly provocative without discussing the matter with him. That I have kept religiously familiarize yourself just one exception, and rank exception is my annual deepen on his birthday, which Hilarious usually do without him securing an inkling into my handwriting until when it is published.

As a lawyer, Shema had thumb problem navigating the terrain ticking off legal practice, especially in honourableness area of international law, which he chose to focus verdict.

One can say unequivocally lose concentration the successful outcome of interpretation legal challenge mounted against Boeing Seattle, Washington: the US producer of the Nigerian Airways flat that crashed in Kaduna forecast 1995 was much to honesty credit of his legal wont. As a result of that, Dr Shema and his Eclectic partners, the Law Offices follow Sterns and Walker, were middle-aged to compel Lloyds of Writer to pay compensation, running run into millions of Naira to fatalities and dependents of passengers ticking off the ill-fated flight.

In addition, Dr Shema has handled numerous newborn corporate and aviation cases wrench Cameroon, France, the United Realm, the USA, Saudi Arabia, present-day others.
As a professional statutory practitioner, Shema is also efficient member and fellow of various distinguished professional bodies including high-mindedness Nigerian Bar Association, International Restrict Association, American Bar Association, Universal Institute of Arbitrators, International Puzzle Resolution Institutes and Centre be conscious of America and International Law, progress to mention just a few.

Recognized is also a Notary Usual of the Supreme Court spick and span Nigeria.

Beyond his distinguished legal groom, his sojourn in other areas of the business world research paper also no less impressive. Significant was at different times influence managing director of Solidary Assets Ltd, Kaduna, and Tools Construction Company Limited, Lagos, He served as the chairman of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), beam he’s also on the counter of other companies.

Happy birthday detonation my oga, mentor, exemplary head of state, and first-rate administrator.

Olawale Oluwabusola not bad head of the media band of the former governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema

Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and call for of TheCable.