By Abdallah el-Kurebe, Editor
The remains of former president Aliyu Shehu Usman Shagari has been buried at his personal residence in his hometown, Shagari in Shagari local government headquarters of Sokoto state.
Laid to rest at 4.20pm, many dignitaries witnessed the funeral ceremony of the late president, including a Federal government delegation led by the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari, who was born on February 25, 1925 was a Nigerian politician who served as the first and only President of the country’s Second Republic between 1979 and 1983 when he was overthrown by General Muhammadu Buhari (now Nigeria’s democratically elected president).
Prior to his election as president, Shagari served seven times in a ministerial or cabinet post as a federal minister and federal commissioner from 1958–1975.
Shagari was made the Turaki of Sokoto Caliphate in 1962 by the Sultan Sadiq Abubakar III. He also held the chieftaincy titles of the Ochiebuzo of Ogbaland, the Ezediale of Aboucha and the Baba Korede of Ado Ekiti.
He worked as a teacher for a brief period before entering politics in 1951 and in 1954 was elected to the House of Representatives.
Relatively, Sokoto state government has declared Monday as work-free day in honour of the late former president, Shehu Shagari.
A statement by the Director General, Media and Public Affairs to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Abubakar Shekara, said the state government, in consultation with the Sultanate Council had declared Monday, December 31st, 2018 as Public Holiday and Special Prayer Day on the death of former President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari.
“The State Government therefore, requests the Imams of mosques across the State and the general public to dedicate the day for special supplications for the repose of the soul of the former president and for peace and progress of the nation at large.
“The Government also directs that all flags at public and private premises be flown at half mast in honor of the late former President Shehu Shagari,” the statement read.
