By John Shiklam in Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has described the late former President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, as a symbol of peace, unity and a man who offered his selfless service to the nation.
The forum in a statement Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim-Biu, said Shagari would be remembered for his humility and respect to democratic ideals.
The forum maintained that the best way to remember him, is for the current crop of Nigerian leaders to uphold his legacies.
According to the statement, Shagari was known for promoting national ideals, moral values and respect for sacred core of inviolability of the individual.
“The leadership and the entire members of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) mourns the passing on of the first Executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, our amiable Patron, elder statesman and Turakin Sokoto, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, at the age of 93.
“He will fondly be remembered for his humility, respect for democratic ideals and invaluable contributions to the unity, peaceful coexistence of Nigerians and overall development of the country.
“The late Turakin Sokoto not only engraved his name in the annals of Nigerian history as an elder statesman, but also as a symbol of peace, unity and selfless service to the North and, indeed, Nigeria which has lost a great leader and a stabilising personality whose wisdom had greatly influenced the nation’s polity.
“The best way to remember Alhaji Shehu Shagari is for those of us whom he has left behind to live up his legacies by way of promoting national ideals, moral values and respect for sacred core of inviolability of the individual,” the statement said.
The forum also expressed its condolences to all Nigerians, the government and people of Sokoto state and the family of the late former President over the irreparable loss of a great elder statesman and ACF patron.
The forum recalled that the Shagari was a federal minister in the First Republic and also the Minister of Finance and Economic Development during the military regime of Gen. Yakubu Gowon which supervised the judicious implementation of the three Rs (Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation) after the civil war.
