Super Philanthropist!
Late Shehu of Borno had no house, gave out all possessions to the poor
Thursday, February 26, 2009

As you read this, one of the fire contenders to the throne musht have been announced as the new Shehu of Borno. But the starkling revelation emerging within the week is that the late Shehu gave out all he had to poor people.


•Late Mustapha






The atmosphere at the palace of Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Mustapha Umar El-Kanemi on Sunday afternoon was unusually dull. A heavy silence pervaded the hitherto lively open field in front of the ancient palace. Unlike before, hundreds of children and street urchins known in local parlance as almajiris were not in the mood to play football. For them and many others, it was a sad day as they await the corpse of the late Shehu, Alhaji Mustapha Umar El-kanemi who died on Friday evening in a Cairo hospital in Egypt following a protracted illness.

On this day, the children queued, not for gifts or money usually given by Baba Masa (the late Shehu’s nickname given to him by the children) after each football match or sporting activity at the field but to bid him farewell to the world of his ancestors. As various dignitaries including political leaders, religious and traditional rulers from across the country entered the palace to commiserate with the late Shehu’s large family, it dawned on the people of the State and the Muslim community in Nigeria that the 19th spiritual/cultural leader of the Kanem-Bornu Kingdom as well as the Deputy National Vice President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, is gone forever!

His Last Days

The late Shehu has been in and out of the country in about the last 20 years for medical treatment to the extent that he was rumoured to have passed away at a Saudi Arabia hospital sometimes in 2007. Unconfirmed report claimed he suffered from cancer, prompting a request by a hospital to amputate the affected leg which he allegedly rebuffed. Nevertheless, his poor health would not debar him from attending some important public functions. During the visit of the former NNPC Group Managing Director, Engr. Mohammed Yar’Ardua to his palace to brief the royal father on the efforts of the Federal Government to resume oil prospection in the Lake Chad area, a physically weak Shehu could barely be heard in his response to the GMD’s speech. Shortly before his health condition relapsed early last week, he was said to have counseled some children on the virtue of honesty and peaceful coexistence among all men. By Wednesday night, he was reportedly flown to Egypt en route Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano. But the news of his death filtered into the city on Friday night, while the official confirmation later came from the State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff on Saturday night in a radio broadcast.

Shehu Mustapha, from public service to politics

Born in 1924 as the 4th son of the 17th Shehu of Borno, Sir Umar Ibn Mohammed El-Kanemi, the late Shehu received his early education at Dikwa, reputed for being the second El-Kanemi dynasty between 1936 and 1944. He later attended an administrative training course at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in 1953/54 and a local government course for district heads in 1969.

He commenced his public service career as an administrator in 1945 when he became the secretary of the Wali of Borno. He was subsequently transferred to various departments of the then Native Authority, including the police, Central Administration and Veterinary Department as a representative (Yalema) of the then Shehu.

Armed with these experiences, he was elected into the Northern Nigeria House of Assembly in 1956 on the platform of the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) representing the Damaturu/Bursari constituency, and re-elected in 1959. He was also appointed as Parliamentary Secretary or junior minister in the ministry of lands and survey, Northern Region, Kaduna in 1961. After his political experience, he returned to Maiduguri in 1966 to the Central Office. In 1968, he became the District Head of Mafa and subsequently to Nganzai District in 1970, a position he held until he became the Shehu of Borno in 1974.

Receiving his Staff of Office during his formal installation on February 1, 1975 as the 19th Shehu, he pledged to work for the unity and peace of all. His words: “I shall make every effort to be honest in dealing with my people and uphold justice, rule of law and fair play. I shall always work for the peace and progress of my people, irrespective of ethnic origin, religion or place of birth. I will do my best to bring about improvement in the standard of living of the entire people of our emirate.”

Little wonder that most settlers and indigenes of the state saw him as a bridge builder, generous and accessible. It was said that many would not want him to travel out of the state when sectarian crisis broke out in some Northern States so as to nip possible crisis in the bud. Like his father, family sources claimed Shehu Mustapha died without a personal house, property or known asset. Resources that came to him were said to be distributed to coteries of people who usually besiege his palace everyday for assistance.

The Shehu’s stool

Borno, a caliphate and home of the Kanuris has a rich Islamic history. Historians say the Jihad fought by a Bornu Islamic scholar, Sheikh Mohammad Al-Amin El-kanemi in the 18 /19 century led to the beginning of the Shehu’s stool. Al-Amin, the scholar/warrior was said to have spent 17 years in spiritual seclusion at Ngala to conquer the Fulani invaders before ascending power as the traditional ruler of Kanem-Borno. Following his exploit, it was at this town that he was proclaimed Mai of Borno until later before it was changed to Shehu. Therefore, Al-Amin or Laminu ruled for 21 years from 1814 to 1835.

Daily Sun gathered that tradition expects the 7-member king makers to declare the seat of Shehu vacant in the event that the occupant was incapacitated to discharge his duties or died. The kingmakers are also expected to screen contestants for the stool while a new Shehu is usually announced after the three days prayer by the kingmakers to commence full tradition.

Tussle for the stool

Expectedly, the tussle for the stool of Shehu commenced shortly after the State government formally broke the news of the dead of the former royal father. Top on the lists of the contestants are the late Shehu’s son, Alhaji Baba Shehu Mustapha, the incumbent district head of Nganzai, Alhaji Abba Rufai, another prince, he is a General Manager with the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and immediate brother of the late Shehu, Alhaji Kyari Abba Garbai, Permanent Secretary, Borno State ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs and Alhaji Kashim Umar Garbai, a civil servant at the presidency. Among all these, Baba Shehu is seen as the likely successor to the throne.

Palace sources told Daily Sun that the late Shehu has never hidden his wish for his son to succeed him. “Don’t you know the appointment of Baba Shehu as the district head of Nganzai was strategic? This is because it was the same place the former Shehu was groomed and brought to the throne and the late royal father has been grooming the young man for the stool since,” a staff at the palace that preferred anonymity disclosed. It is believed that Baba has what it takes to excel like his father on the throne.

However, some argued that the Shehu’s immediate brother would be more efficient on the throne than his cousin. His wealth of experience as a public servant is expected to be brought to the fore in the Shehu’s stool particularly in the contemporary Nigerian society where the traditional institution is gradually becoming elitist. The Borno State permanent secretary in the ministry of local government, Kyari Garbai also enjoys the support of many people in the State, especially the governor. Daily Sun learnt that some senior government officials have commenced intense lobby among the king makers to ensure the Permanent Secretary is finally picked. Though, Governor Ali Modu Sheriff was said to have advised the kingmakers and the family of the late Shehu to resolve the successor issue without rancour when he visited the palace last Saturday night, many believed that the visit was a mere formality to confuse the public about government intention.

A source claimed the governor was favourably disposed to having Kyari Garbai as the new Shehu for possible political maneuvering when elections come. It was believed that the candidacy of Garbai sells much in the government circle to ensure the governor has a grip on the occupant of Shehu’s stool even after leaving office. Besides, during the battle for soul of Borno in 2003 between late Governor Mala Kachallah and his successor, the incumbent, only Garbai supported Sheriff, as the rest all queued behind the late Kachallah, largely because of his peaceful disposition to handling State affairs. However, his media assistant, Nancy Brian Mbaya dismissed it as “a work of mischief maker,” arguing that the selection of a new Shehu cannot be influenced just like that especially by a governor who believes in tradition of his people.”

By the time you are reading this report, a new Shehu would have been announced and another history book open for the people of the El-Kanemi State, signaling the dawn of another reign!


http://odili.net/news/source/2009/feb/26/509.html

May his soul rest in peace and forgiveness from his Lord.

interstingly most nl's didnt comment on this,it goes to show how we ourselves bring our country down,we focus only on the bad and never looking at the good

DRANOEL:

interstingly most nl's didnt comment on this,it goes to show how we ourselves bring our country down,we focus only on the bad and never looking at the good

Na only bad side of our country/people we dey discuss for Nairaland. . .

interstingly most nl's didnt comment on this,it goes to[b] show how we ourselves bring our country down,we focus only on the bad and never looking at the good[/b]

It's b/cos most believe that nothing good can ever come from the muslim north.

St.Funmi:

It's b/cos most believe that nothing good can ever come from the muslim north.

Are you part of the "most" ?

to the "most" is it rational to have such thought?

Are you part of the "most" ?

to the "most" is it rational to have such thought?

No am not; I believe both good and evil emanate from the north. The ratio is what disturbs me the most.

Lagosboy:

Are you part of the "most" ?

to the "most" is it rational to have such thought?

My sentiments exactly
Would rather trust a Hausa man any day.

My sentiments exactly
Would rather trust a Hausa man any day.

Yea, that's why they massacred your kinsmen last time. Bloody Ass licker!

good and evil emanates form every region on earth. Talking of ratio there is no difference in ratio compared to all other parts of Nigeria.

I am not hausa but steryotyping them in a negative way is something i detest!! same way i would defend the steryotyping of the igbo nation as well.

How mant times have u heard of massacres in the igbo and yoruba regions?

St.Funmi:

Yea, that's why they massacred your kinsmen last time. Bloody Ass licker!

More Hausa/Muslims were killed in the confrontations that were sparked last time in Jos FYI.
And if you know the political overtones of what caused the conflict you will retract you ignorant statement.

St.Funmi:

How mant times have u heard of massacres in the igbo and yoruba regions?

Their have been many many many many riots in Lagos alone so am confused as to what you are talking about.

Their have been many many many many riots in Lagos alone so am confused as to what you are talking about.

Yeah, started by hausa Fulani abi?

More Hausa/Muslims were killed in the confrontations that were sparked last time in Jos FYI.
And if you know the political overtones of what caused the conflict you will retract you ignorant statement.

Please don't feed me that bull shit. they massacred over 300 Yorubas and you are here telling me they lost a lot. If there were hausas that died in the mayhem, it was due to self defense from those they are attacking or a case of misplaced identity. So hush and say the truth you hausa ass kisser.

We get riots in the southwest of political nature so what are we talking about. Urhobo and istshekiri killed themselves like shit in the 90's over local govt, ife and modakeke fought a terrible war in the 90's both from the same state which is your state osun. Why do we just heap blames on the hausas for everything i guess OBJ was hausa as well for wiping out ODI village

OBJ was hausa as well for wiping out ODI village

OBJ had no other options left my friend. Riots are different from continuous massacre of innocent people that have no hand in your local politics and it's a continuous process. I am happy you said these riots occurred in the 90's which is the 20th century, how many have occurred in the north in the 21st century alone?

St.Funmi:

Yeah, started by hausa Fulani abi?

Yes all riots in Nigeria are perpetrated by Hausa
Do you really think that the Hausa are the root cause of Nigeria's woes?

St.Funmi:

Please don't feed me that bull shit. they massacred over 300 Yorubas and you are here telling me they lost a lot. If there were hausas that died in the mayhem, it was due to self defense from those they are attacking or a case of misplaced identity. So hush and say the truth you hausa  ass kisser.

300 Yorubas were not massacred so stop that bologna talk right now.
There were roughly 400 casualties all in all and over 300 were brought to the mosque.
Wait are you insinuating that they brought the Yoruba dead to the mosques? That is bullshit!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/01/nigeria-christianity-islam-jos-riots
You should hush and say the truth. I wont result to name calling because tam better than that.

300 Yorubas were not massacred so stop that bologna talk right now.
There were roughly 400 casualties all in all and over 300 were brought to the mosque.
Wait are you insinuating that they brought the Yoruba dead to the mosques? That is bullshit!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/01/nigeria-christianity-islam-jos-riots
You should hush and say the truth. I wont result to name calling because tam better than that.

331 to be precise. It was on national dailies and stop hiding the truth because it will solve nothing. call a spade a spade. Yansh licker.

Do you really think that the Hausa are the root cause of Nigeria's woes?

95% of our problems are tied to the north. Say the truth and shame the devil.

St.Funmi:

331 to be precise. It was on national dailies and stop hiding the truth because it will solve nothing. call a spade a spade. Yansh licker.

Bullshit less than 400 people die and 331 are Yoruba. Please get me a source as I have done so to back up my claims. Don't tell me the were in some daily. Get me evidence.

Bullshit less than 400 people die and 331 are Yoruba. Please get me a source as I have done so to back up my claims. Don't tell me the were in some daily. Get me evidence.

Up root the thread we discussed the riot let me show it to you. I remember i posted it for sure but I can't access it now.

St.Funmi:

95% of our problems are tied to the north. Say the truth and shame the devil.

Where do you get your statistics from? Do you just pick them out of thin air?
Their is no point arguing with someone who already has preconceived notions

Where do you get your statistics from? Do you just pick them out of thin air?
Their is no point arguing with someone who already has preconceived notions

Aren't you dissing yourself here?. There is no point arguing with someone who kept kissing hausa yansh even when they were massacring his own kinsmen for no just cause. Coward!

St.Funmi:

Up root the thread we discussed the riot let me show it to you. I remember i posted it for sure but I can't access it now.

So I should look for evidence for you false claims? See the pride in this lioness, I challenge you to bring a credible source that says 300 Yoruba were murdered in 2008 Jos Crisis.

and this is what most threads on NL mutate into.

St.Funmi:

Aren't you dissing yourself here?. There is no point arguing with someone who kept kissing hausa yansh even when they were massacring his own kinsmen for no just cause. Coward!

You can continue firing insults but it does not in anyway add credibility to your argument. Insults usually happen when the party sending the insults has nothing tangible to say, so continue

must_a_far:

and this is what most threads on NL mutate into.

Hey am just defending some stupid fallacy that St.Funmi=Earthmama=Deepzone is trying to spread, with facts

JosBoy4Lif:

Hey am just defending some stupid fallacy that St.Funmi=Earthmama=Deepzone is trying to spread, with facts

I support you!!! Funmi hates hausas deeply for no just reason

Hey Lagosboy, She is not the only one. I am still waiting for her to post evidence of her claims,

almost every thread just seems to sink into the tribal and religious quicksand. sometimes i hope and pray we are like this because of the identity shield we get from the internet.

Jos crisis: We lost all say Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba
Written by Chioma Gabriel, (Deputy Editor, Lagos,) Taye Obateru, Jos, Uduma Kalu, Lagos
Saturday, December 6, 2008

Igbos: Spare parts, timber shed, motor market, shops burnt*

Hausa: N2bn worth of cars *

Yoruba: 113 lives,house, businesses lost


All Nigerians, not just natives of Jos, capital of Plateau state, were victims of the last November 27 described by the people as the worst ever in the city investigations have revealed.

Yet, another crisis may erupt in the city as the victims count their losses. To nip this in the bud, the victims are asking the federal and the state governments to come to their aid.

A survey of the city last Thursday by Saturday Vanguard indicates that the fear now is that the level of loss suffered by people may lead to another crisis at the slightest excuse. They are therefore crying out for assistance.

Some of those asking for help are the Igbo, Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Benue citizens. Regrettably, most of the victims who were killed knew nothing about what went amiss.

A young man who lived around Rikkos area lost his life when the Hausa community burnt his house.

When asked to leave his house as a crowd was gathering because of the local government elections, the young man asked why he should run when he was not a politician and had nothing to do with the election. The house was burnt by the assailants. His young wife and kids are now without a bread winner.

Many more examples abound of how people died innocently in the mayhem while those who managed to escape with their lives lost life investments and other property. For a number of others, it was multiple tragedies as they lost children, homes and business places all to the crisis.

Homes, shops, cars and other economic property were burnt, or destroyed on both sides in retaliatory moves designed to inflict as much pain as possible. Stories were told of when groups saw the destruction done to their own property or economic interests also mobilized and descended on those belonging to those believed to be responsible for their own loss.

The riot began along political party lines but took ethno-religious dimension later, resulting in the death of over 500 people, with properties worth billions of naira burnt, looted and destroyed.

And it is not only natives of the city that are counting their losses but all Nigerian of all ethnic groups.

That all Nigerian were victims of the loss could be gleaned from Laranto Market, hitherto a perfect setting of Nigerians from various parts, who together pursued their economic interests without let or hindrance.

This largest timber market, mostly run by the Igbo, also had the second hand clothing and large scale foodstuff business run by the Hausa-Fulani, the building materials shops, run by the Igbo as well as the palm oil, small-scale foodstuff business, etc, which was a mix of Nigerians made the place popularly known as ‘Katako’ bubble.

The Igbo also suffered serious losses in the crisis because many of their shops and businesses were targeted by the hoodlums during the riot. Apart from the timber shed in Katako which was completely razed, the second hand vehicle parts market at Farin Gada where they sold vehicle engines, spare parts and other things was attacked, torched and looted. Many of their shops in other places were also not spared.

Today, Laranto Market is now reduced to rubbles, more like an open field, as it was razed down and levelled in what could be described as mutually assured destruction or what in Nigerian parlance is called ‘do me, I do you’. It was learnt that victims of initial attacks fought back to ensure that they all suffered the pain.

Saturday Vanguard also gathered that the recent Jos mayhem was worse than the September 7, 2001 version in terms of human and economic loss.

“The one that occurred in 2001 is nowhere near this. Many more lives were lost in this one and more property and businesses were destroyed”, Jude Sylvester, a businessman told Saturday Vanguard.

His view was supported by Mrs. Roseline Okonkwo, a petty trader at the destroyed Laranto market who said many businesses might have been permanently ruined unless assistance comes from government or from other quarters.

“Where do we begin from? Even the little money we had was left in the store and all were either burnt or looted. We have not even paid for some of the goods we collected that were destroyed. I don’t want to think about it”; she said amidst sobs.

Calls for compensation have been coming from various quarters to assist the victims to start life again.

Chairman of the second hand vehicle dealers association, Alhaji Yahaya Kega who said his members lost vehicles worth almost N2b in the mayhem urged both the Federal and State governments to come to their aid in view of the incalculable loss they suffered. The timber dealers in Laranto have also made a similar appeal.

Perhaps most pathetic is the situation of the Yoruba who got caught on all fronts of the divide and suffered heavy human and business losses in the crisis. Since the crisis took a religious dimension, the Yoruba who are almost equally divided along both religious lines were attacked from both sides.

Christian and Moslem Yoruba alike were attacked, killed and had their houses and property burnt.

According to President-General of the Yoruba Community Council in the state, Chief Toye Ogushuyi, the losses suffered by his people were heavy. About 113 Yorubas, he said, lost their lives in the recent crisis.

He stated this at a meeting between Governor Jonah Jang and community and religious leaders on Wednesday saying most of their corpses have been taken to their states for burial.

With tears in their eyes, including the state Deputy Governor, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, Ogunshuyi narrated how his people were soiled down or burnt over a crisis they knew nothing about.

He said many of the victims were caught unawares because their assailants wore military uniforms. He said Yorubas were peace loving adding,“We have been carrying out legitimate businesses in Jos since 1891 and we built the first church in Jos but we have been living peacefully without fighting to rule Jos”.

The Yoruba leader said those who unleashed the violence should be identified and punished to restore the confidence of people in government’s ability to protect lives and property.

“We, the Yorubas, have suffered a great loss. Like I said at the meeting with the governor, over a 100 and something of our people have died, and they are both Moslems and Christians.

Houses and businesses were destroyed and right now we are collating the losses of our people to be sent to the governors of the Yoruba states for possible assistance. An elderly man of 72 years Alhaji Hassan had his house and business places burnt.

Another elderly Yoruba, Alhaji Alasinrin also lost four shops where he sold grains completely razed. This is not to talk of those who were killed indiscriminately whether they were Christians or Moslems,” he told Saturday Vanguard in an interview.

Ogunsuyi expressed disappointment with some members of the National Assembly whom he said had been making emotional outbursts based on ignorance and bias as if only a particular ethnic group or religion was affected.

“They should come here and see what our people suffered before making provocative statements that will only cause more problems,” he said.

As the crisis lasted in Jos, the nation was also seized by tension. Last Thursday, newly elected president of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Ralph Uwechue, in a telephone interview with Saturday Vanguard said the group is trying to get inventory of the Igbo affected by the crisis as it does not know the extent Igbo were affected in the mayhem.

Uwechue who served as both ex President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Special Envoy on Conflict Resolution in Africa and as Head of the Economic Community of West African States Mission in Cote d’Ivoire (ECOMICI) said the group has therefore despatched some people to Jos, through various Igbo groups to take inventory of Igbo involvement in the crisis.

He added that Ohanaeze will decide on what action to take on the matter once the inventory is made, adding that the Igbo should project a common cause, and not to act on individual basis in the new dispensation.


http://odili.net/news/source/2008/dec/6/315.html

This was the first report that came before they counted other bodies found in crevices and caves. An estimated number of 350 yorubas were massacred in jos and you think we should shove it under the carpet like that. You wouldn't think so if a relation of yours lost his/her life in that mayhem. Nonsense.