Shehu Kangiwa: 30 years after

ALHAJI SHEHU MOHAMED KANGIWA, who died 30 years ago on November 17, 1981, was one of the most popular politicians of the Second Republic whose tenure as governor was cut short by a polo field accident in Kaduna. The man who ruled the old Sokoto State [comprising today's Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States] is widely remembered today for many things, including his hardwork and very high sense of humour. He is also remembered for many, many projects including Giginya, Shukura, Argungu Grand Fishing and Gusau Hotels, many Primary Health Centres, four technical schools, four commercial schools and vocational training centres, the Birnin Kebbi Polytechnic, Sokoto Investment Company, Sokoto Cooperative Bank and Sokoto State Library. Kangiwa is also remembered for many industries including the Rice Mill, Sokoto Foam factory, Coca cola factory, Tamba Animal Feeds, Modern Bakeries, Ceramic factory and tannery, among others. Here are a few recollections from some of the men who knew him very well.Dr.Garba Nadama, Kangiwa's deputy governor and successor as governorWe were together at Sokoto Middle School. He was two years behind me. We were both trained teachers; I went to Bauchi Teachers College; he went to Gombe Teachers College. We were always in contact. When he finished, he joined the Federal Government and later on he was a permanent secretary in the Sokoto State Government.Quite a number of people including myself and some emirs invited him to seek the governorship of the state because we knew his capabilities. We got him to come to contest.He was also a very good and very popular footballer. Very friendly and very open minded. I became his deputy by accident. I was the Principal of Advanced Teachers College Sokoto [now Shehu Shagari College of Education] Sokoto and I had recruited quite many people from overseas. They urged me not to join politics and leave them having recruited them from outside, but when we went to a meeting with Shehu Kangiwa and others, Shehu Kangiwa insisted that since we are the people who brought him, there is no way we could desert him, and I had to become his deputy. So I consented.As governor and deputy governor, our friendship continued. In actual fact he used to come to my place and I used to go to his house. The conflict that you often see between a governor and a deputy governor, it is usually the people surrounding them that make them to quarrel. Some people will go and say 'deputy governor is doing this against you.' When you are choosing a deputy, you choose somebody who you know would assist you but later on, people would start finding their way into the two of you and making things difficult, but nonetheless until he died we were very close.On the day he was to go to Kaduna, in fact he was already ready to leave, the news came that a federal minister from Sokoto, Ahmed Nahuche, had died. We were told the plane was bringing the corpse. He said he had already made arrangements in Kaduna so I should go and bury the minster with some of the commissioners around. He left for Kaduna and we buried the late minister. Two days later, the news came! It was so, so sad. When the accident happened, he was taken to the hospital and we thought it was a minor accident, but later we were told he died and that they were bringing the corpse.SENATOR GARBA ILA GADA, Kangiwa's adviserI was one of his close confidants as his Adviser on Budget. He trusted me. People invited Shehu Kangiwa to come and govern old Sokoto and he did a lot for Sokoto.His cabinet was a mixed grill. He brought his students, his classmate and the older ones. I was his student; nowadays you hardly get a cabinet member that tells you you are wrong.Shehu Kangiwa was somebody who protected his subordinates and had respect for them. He was humble, extremely intelligent, had initiative, focus, very well educated, well groomed, well experienced, teacher, lawyer. He was generous to a fault, not corrupt, truly honest.When he was going to Kaduna for Polo tournament, he called five of us and sent us on tour to local government areas. We took fertilizers, essential commodities, rice, grain etc to villages. We were to leave that same day, he called five of us to say good bye. We saw him off and then went to our various assignments. I was assigned to Gwadabawa -Gada and Ilela of today. I got to Gada around 6pm, only to hear the news of his death. I was crying from Gada up to Sokoto because I knew what Sokoto lost. Kangiwa was a potential presidential material. His death was a big shock not only to Sokoto but the whole of Nigeria. But we have been praying for him. I remain very close to his family.DR. ABUBAKAR MOHAMMED SOKOTO, Sokoto State Secretary of the ruling NPN: Alhaji Shehu Kangiwa could go any length to please people. He liked to see people progressing, unlike these days when leaders don't like to see their subordinates' progress. I have never seen him provoked. He was very close to those who worked under him. You can't compare his administration with others. He was humble, gave commissioners free hand to take decisions. He was a simple man. He was very jovial and was called the laughing governor.His cabinet comprised both old and new brigade. He said the elderly ones would caution while the youths bring in their vibrancy. He carried everyone along. As a family man he was very caring to his wife, and I respected him for that.I was going to Ladan Shuni's house and I tuned in the radio of my car, only to hear the bad news [of his death]. I couldn't control myself and nearly crashed the car. Whenever I go to Birnin Kebbi, I usually wait to pray for him.AMBASSADOR LADAN ABDULLAHI SHUNI, one of his commissioners.Shehu Kangiwa saw former Sokoto as the most developed in the whole of the North. He laid down the foundation for the development. His entire mind was centred on development. He died serving the people. He is the only person I could compare with late Sardauna of Sokoto. Leaders of today should emulate Sardauna and Kangiwa. He was very humble, intelligent, a philanthropist, so gentle and humane, he was never angered by anything and not corrupt. He initiated most of the projects in Sokoto. As his student, he taught me and made me. He allowed his commissioners to work without interference. He was detribalized did not discriminate. Some of his friends were from other parties, such as Abubakar Rimi, who was his very close friend.When he died, a friend called me from Kaduna to tell me the news. I collapsed and lost consciousness. Up till now, if I remember that telephone call, I pray for him.We drove to all the way to Argungu weeping.SENATOR SAIDU DANSADAU, State Publicity Secretary, NPN: Alhaji Shehu Kangiwa was best known for his generosity, humility and commitment to the improvement of the living standard of the ordinary people. One of his legacies can be seen in the number of projects he executed during his tenure. He was the first governor to introduce integrated rural development programme in Sokoto state. Part of it was the rural water supply scheme which he massively embarked upon as well as construction of feeder roads. He paid particular attention to education of the children of the ordinary people in the state.Another important quality of Shehu Kangiwa was that of ensuring justice, fairness and equity in whatever he did. If not for his name, you would hardly know which part of Sokoto he came from. Whenever he was planning for government projects and programmes that would touch the lives of the people, he didn't give preference to the area he came from.When agitation for the creation of new states began, it is natural that a sitting governor would not support the idea of creating a state out of his own. It was only a rumour but when the rumour started getting momentum, the late Kangiwa requested the party to call for a state executive council meeting. At that executive council meeting, he asked whether the agitation was a reality or a mischief. He was told that it was real. There and then, he personally moved a motion that the party should set up a committee to go round the then Sokoto State to find out from people whether they wanted it, the number of states required and the local government areas that should constitute the new state. That was the term of reference for the committee. ALHAJI TUKUR TELA was his driver from 1976 until his death in 1981.He regarded me as his friend .I had a great working relation with him. Nobody ever took me the way he did. He told me when he finished that tenure; he will not go back but will go into business. Before we went to the Polo Club on the day the unfortunate incident happened, he told me that would be the last game he will play before we leave for Sokoto, so we got all our things ready to return home, only for him to have the accident.I was there at the polo club and I saw him when he came to change his horse. Minutes later, he had the accident. I felt terrible like I had never felt before in my life. Since the time he died till now, if I think of him, I feel very sad but I pray for him.
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