We Must Build Beyond the Next Elections’ — Shettima

We Must Build Beyond the Next Elections’ — Shettima

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has called on political leaders to look beyond election cycles and leave behind institutions that can continue to benefit Nigerians.

His remarks came at the Abuja presentation of Brigadier Musa Usman (1940–1991): Service and Impact, a book documenting the life and public service of the late military governor of the former North-Eastern State.

Represented by Aliyu Modibbo Umar, Shettima said leadership should be measured by the value that remains after an administration has left office.

“We must recover the spirit of selflessness in public service,” he said, urging leaders to “build beyond the next elections and think beyond political boundaries.”

He listed reconstruction, agriculture, education, transport, energy, industrialisation, jobs, environmental restoration, peace and security among areas where leaders must take a long-term approach.

The Vice-President pointed to Musa Usman’s administration as an example of how development can outlive a political tenure. Usman governed the former North-Eastern State from 1967 to 1975, and the region he once administered now covers six states in the North-East.

Shettima said Usman played a major role in developing Maiduguri and establishing infrastructure and institutions that later administrations were able to build upon.

Governor Babagana Zulum, who spoke at the event, described Usman as a leader who combined effective governance with integrity, discipline and humility.

Zulum said the late governor’s contributions included investments in education, healthcare and infrastructure, as well as efforts to strengthen the region’s economy.

The book, written by journalists Mahmud Jega and Theophilus Abbah, also traces Usman’s military career and his rise to leadership at a young age. It was published to preserve his record and the history of the former North-Eastern State.

Shettima said preserving such history could help younger Nigerians understand that lasting public service is about strengthening institutions and improving lives, rather than simply holding office.