BusinessDay 08 Apr 2018

C002D5556
Sunday 08 April 2018
28
2019 Watch Presidency
Shekarau, the mathematical politician
ZEBULON AGOMUO
Since he joined the mucky waters
of the Nigerian politics in 2003,
Ibrahim Shekarau has not looked
back. Unlike many politicians who
have no second address but politics,
Shekarau is a man that had traversed
other sectors of the nation’s economy
before going into politics.
He started life as a humble classroom
teacher and rose through the ranks to a director
in the ministry of education. He also
taught as a lecturer in one of the institutions
of higher learning in his native state of Kano.
So, he has played in the private sector and
public sector. His long years in the education
sector must have been responsible for his
appointment in 2014 as the 45th minister
of education by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
He held the position till the end
of that administration in 2015, following
the emergence of President Muhammadu
Buhari of the All Progressives Congress
(APC).
As governor of Kano State between 2003
and 2011 Shekarau changed the face of education
in Kano. He was said to have removed
Kano State from the list of Educationally
Less Developed (ELD) states through the
provision of instructional materials, infrastructure
and manpower to schools and
scholarships for 33,000 undergraduates
studying in various institutions nationwide.
Before his arrival on power stool, Kano
had 3,421 primary schools, 20,526 classrooms,
1, 026,300 pupils with 22,084
teachers. But he changed the narrative.
Enrolment improved by 80 percent. The
Shekarau administration also established
additional 364 primary and 241 secondary
schools.
Shekarau was said to have initiated some
large scale development projects in Kano
State. He also hosted some world leaders
like the former German Chancellor Schoeder,
Prince Charles, among others. The Emir
of Kano, Ado Bayero conferred on him, the
title of Sardauna of Kano, now of the leading
emirate councillors.
His profile
His birth, early life and education
Shekarau was born November 5, 1955
in the Kurmawa quarters of Kano,
the son of a police officer. He was
educated at Gidan Makama Primary
School (1961–1967), then at Kano Commercial
College (1967–1973) and finally at Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria (1973–1977) where he
received a Degree in Mathematics/Education.
After finishing his Degree, he went into
the civil service. Later on, he started his career
as a Mathematics teacher at Government
Technical College, Wudil in 1978. Two years
later he became Principal at Government Day
Junior Secondary School, Wudil. In 1980 he
was transferred to Government Secondary
School, Hadejia, then to Government College
Birnin Kudu in 1986, then to Government
Secondary School, Gwammaja and then
to Rumfa College in March 1988, all as the
Ibrahim Shekarau
tion (WHO) screamed foul and profusely
denied it.
While Kano was under his watch, he created
a local religious police, the ‘Hisbah Guard’,
which enforced sharia law irrespective of the
residents’ religions. It was very insensitive.
Eyes on the ball
Former governor Shekarau is said to have
determined to, once again, throw his hat
into the ring this time around. It was gathered
that he has since informed his party,
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of
his ambition and has also communicated
his political ambition to various elders, community
leaders, opinion leaders, political
associates and religious leaders regardless
of their ethnic and party affiliations.
Reports quoted letters said to have
been written by him to many of his former
aides, stating: “Since after the 2015 general
elections, there have been various calls by
individuals and groups from many quarters,
nationwide, urging my humble candidature
for the contest of the Presidency of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria in the next general
elections, due in 2019.”
“In response to these calls, and in view of
the seeming intricacies and the boundless
complexities involved in such a national
school’s principal.
Career
Shekarau became Deputy Director of Education
in charge of Bichi Zonal Education Area
in 1992. One year later, he was promoted to
Director Planning, Research and Statistics
in Ministry of Education. Two year later, he
became Director General (Permanent Secretary),
Ministry of Education and Youth
Development.
In January 1995, Shekarau was transferred
to Ministry of Water Resources, Rural and
Community Development, then back to
Ministry of Education in January – May 1997
before he was asked to move to General Service
Directorate of the Cabinet Office, all as
Permanent Secretary. By February 2000, he
was on the move again to Civil Service Commission,
where he stayed for only four months
assignment, I have consulted across all
the geo-political zones and different interest
groups, who examined and appraised
the issue and advised me accordingly,” he
further said.
According to him, “I have therefore
decided to accept the clarion calls, and will
in due course and in accordance with the
guidelines of my party, the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), offer my humble self
for the contest of the presidency during
the forth-coming 2019 general elections.”
A vocal politician, not amused by APC style
Recently, SaharaReporters quoted Shekarau
as saying that the APC was confused
and had been lying to Nigerians about bringing
change to their living conditions.
He was said to have described the
“change” mantra of the party as a ruse.
“When Nigerians asked: ‘When are we
going to see the change we voted for?’ They
were told to wait until after swearing-in ceremony.
After the swearing-in, they heard silence
without change and they asked, when
will this change come? The answer was until
they resume office and they subsequently
resumed office and nothing happened,”
said Shekarau.
He added that when the masses asked
before the civil service commission under Ado
Gwaram Government sent him to the State
College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies
(CASRS) as Chief lecturer (Mathematics)
at the Department of Physical Sciences, in
May 2000. Shekarau remained in this post for
17 months before he voluntarily retired from
the services of Kano State Civil Service on 2
October 2001. Sometime after quitting his
post as Chief Lecturer, he decided to work as a
secretary to businessman Aminu Dantata. He
was employed under Dantata until he became
a contender in Kano State’s 2003 gubernatorial
elections.
Presidential bid
Governor Ibrahim Shekarau was one of the
candidates for the presidential election of
2011. He contested on the platform of the
defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP).
Major controversies
Although brilliant and well exposed, Shekarau
could not draw a line between religion
and politics. He tended to mix up everything,
hence the controversy that greeted
some of his moves and pronouncements.
As governor, he opposed polio vaccination
campaigns on the allegation that they
were attempts to make Moslem women
infertile. This position fetched him a barrage
of criticism and the World Health Organisaagain
when to expect the change promised,
they were told to wait until the appointment
of the Secretary to the Government of Federation
(SGF).
“After three months, the SGF was appointed
and the people asked again: ‘Where
is the change?’ The answer was they should
wait for the change after the appointment
of Chief of Staff. The masses got worried
and said, please when will this change
come? The answer was, until ministers are
appointed. After six months, they appointed
ministers,” Shekarau said mockingly.
Following the appointment of ministers,
said Shekarau, the APC promised that
change would come when the budget was
prepared and told the masses to wait for the
budget. And when they got the budget, he
added, Nigerians were told they would have
the change after the National Assembly
must have gone through the budget.
“Suddenly, the National Assembly approved
and the people asked again: ‘Can see
and feel the change?’ Their (APC) reply was
until the President signed the budget. After
he signed, there was no change, we asked.
They said, the President’s ear is paining him
and we should wait until he was healed,”
said the former governor.
The masses, he said, were prepared to
wait and rejoiced that the President could
hear well and had returned.
Again, the APC did not deliver the change,
shifting delivery to when fuel subsidy was
removed. “They suddenly tripled oil
price and they kept quiet and we talked.
They said we should be patient that change
will come. While Nigerians were waiting,
they now came again that the President was
sick. They said we should wait, we waited
and he came back from the first trip. They
said we should pray and when he returned,
they celebrated and we all secretly prayed
for him, that Allah should heal him. When he
returned they said we should give him time
to fully recover,” stated Shekarau.
He alleged that the APC started playing
games, saying doctors said the President
should return to London, where he stayed
for 103 days before returning.
“We said when will the change come?
They said until they drive away rats from
his office. We are hoping, they will come
and apologise and say the change will come
when I (Buhari) return in 2019,” Shekarau
stated.