Shagari in symbolic birthday celebration

While President Goodluck Jonathan led four former heads of state to felicitate with Shagari, former president Olusegun Obasanjo arrived a short while later and also felicitated with the man to whom he handed over power on October 1, 1979. The only former Nigerian ruler missing from the occasion was General Muhammadu Buhari who is in […]

While President Goodluck Jonathan led four former heads of state to felicitate with Shagari, former president Olusegun Obasanjo arrived a short while later and also felicitated with the man to whom he handed over power on October 1, 1979. The only former Nigerian ruler missing from the occasion was General Muhammadu Buhari who is in London, but who had signed the birthday card jointly presented to Shagari by the former rulers.
In a rich show of symbolism President Jonathan arrived at Shagari’s Sama Road residence together with Generals Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar as well as Chief Ernest Shonekan, former head of the Interim National Government. The president described Shagari as a role model for Nigerian presidents.
Also at the occasion was Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who is APC’s governorship candidate for Sokoto State.
Although Shagari was never known to mark his birthdays with fanfare, he gracefully hosted yesterday’s milestone occasion to mark his becoming a nonagenarian.
 President Jonathan tendered an apology on behalf of General Muhammadu Buhari and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo who were not with them but not long after he and the former rulers left, Obasanjo sauntered into Shagari’s house. He said he was late because he was delayed by traffic jam along Murtala Muhammed International Airport Way in Lagos.
President Jonathan had earlier said it was a unique day when all former heads of state were in Sokoto to honour a man he described as “father of this nation.”
He said, “He is a role model, always very calm and always wants Nigeria to grow and be united. He has been working diligently and tirelessly too to keep Nigeria one and peaceful and he has never stopped.’’
The president also said it was not easy for someone to enjoy 90 winters “especially in a country like Nigeria when one hardly attains the age of 50.”
He thanked God for bringing Shagari to Nigeria to serve in different capacities, saying his likes are worthy of celebration for their enormous contribution to the development of this country.
Addressing Shagari he said, “At 90 you are still very, very committed to the service of this nation. Whenever we have any reason to call all former heads of state, except Shagari is not in the country, even if he is not feeling too well he would try to come. We pray God to give us this kind of energy and commitment to serve this nation.”
General Gowon, under whom Shagari once served as Federal Commissioner for Finance, said the celebrant had performed exceptionally well for the country and that they were all appreciative of his contribution to this nation.
General Babangida, on his part, thanked the former president for allowing him to rise to the rank of General in the army and to even serve as the military head of state.  He said, “When the civilian administration took over power in 1979 Shagari was advised to take me out of the army because of my involvement in previous coups but he ignored the bad advice. This was how I rose to the rank of General in the army and even became head of state. So I thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
Chief Shonekan spoke briefly, thanking Shagari for all that has been doing for the country. General Abubakar then spoke, saying they were all proud of Shagari because he always provides them with fatherly advice.
Speaker Tambuwal described the former president as honest, dedicated and humble, saying he is a role model to all in Nigeria because of his selfless services to the country. The current and former rulers all wished Shagari long life, prosperity and good health to continue contributing his quota to the development of Nigeria.
Former Governor of Sokoto State Attahiru Bafarawa, who was in President Jonathan entourage, said with Shagari’s guidance and wisdom he was able to achieve a lot during his tenure as governor of the state.
In his response President Shagari thanked them for rejoicing with him and assured them that he would remain committed to the unity and development of the country. President Jonathan and the former rulers then presented a birthday card which was signed by all them, including Buhari. They also joined Shagari in a symbolic cutting of birthday cake.
Special prayers were then offered by the Sarkin Malamai of Sokoto Alhaji Buhari Siriddawa as well as other imams. They prayed to Allah to continue to grant the former President good health and guidance.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo arrived soon after and described Shagari as “the doyen of all of us.” He said, “You have become a doyen of all us who have had the opportunity by an act of God to be at the helm of affairs of Nigeria. You have seen it all, the good, the bad and not so good.”
Obasanjo said he learnt a lot from Alhaji Shehu Shagari. “I think that lesson has not been lost in me that when we are in power we have a lot of people  who call themselves friends but when out of power is when we know our true friends.”
He expressed gratitude to God for  the former president’s life saying,  “We thank God for your life. We thank God for your service to the country. We thank God for your ability to bear it all and see it all. My prayer is that ten years from now we may all come back here to celebrate the centenary.” Shagari expressed appreciation to Obasanjo for felicitating with him on the occasion. He restated his commitment to the unity and development of the country.
Shagari on his date of birth
In his autobiography Shagari has this to say about how he came to establish the date of his birth:
“Here was how my own mother recalled to me the time of my birth: ‘Balarabe (as she fondly called me), you were born on the second day of Shaaban in the year of the great durbar in Kano in honour of a visiting British prince.’ My mother’s statement would suggest that I was born on Wednesday (Laraba in Hausa, hence the name Balarabe), the eighth Muslim month of Sha’aban in 1925. So, I initially assumed that I was born in May 1925. Later, however, one Islamic scholar, Dr Muhammad Belli, told me that the second of Sha’aban in 1925 fell on Wednesday, February 25. This would seem to me the correct date of my birth.”