Shettima: Musa Usman Transformed Maiduguri, North-East

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the late Brigadier Musa Usman transformed Maiduguri into a modern regional capital through investments in roads, railways, government institutions and residential districts.

Shettima stated this yesterday in Abuja at the public presentation of “Service and Impact: Brigadier Musa Usman 1940–1991”, a book documenting the life and legacy of the late military administrator.

The vice president, who was represented by Aliyu Mudibo, said successive administrations built on the foundations laid by Musa Usman, adding that the late Army officer’s leadership remained relevant to the development challenges confronting the North-East.

“Successive administrations built upon these foundations, and as governor of Borno State, I inherited both the achievements and responsibilities of those who came before me,” he said.

Shettima said the region’s development had continued under the present Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, despite prevailing challenges.

“Today, under my brother and successor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, reconstruction and development continue, despite the challenges of the time,” he said.

He said the book would also help to preserve Nigeria’s national memory by documenting the contributions of the people who shaped the North-East.

“The North-East we know today was shaped by administrators, public servants, traditional rulers, business people, farmers, teachers and the ordinary citizens,” he said.

The vice president described Musa Usman as a crucial figure in the history of the region, saying he helped establish a functioning state and developed Maiduguri as a regional capital.

“Brigadier Musa Usman stood at a crucial point in that history. He helped establish a functioning state, develop Maiduguri as a regional capital, and nurture cooperation among communities that now inhabit six states,” he said.

Shettima, who is a former governor of Borno State, said the late military administrator’s legacy offered important lessons for contemporary leaders.

He called for a return to selfless public service, urging leaders to apply the principle to reconstruction, agriculture, education, transportation, energy, industrialisation, employment, environmental restoration, peace and security.

“We must build beyond the next elections and think beyond political boundaries,” he said.

“Leadership is measured by what continues to serve the people after the leader has left office.”

Earlier,Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum said Musa Usman combined integrity with impactful governance, adding that his legacy remained visible decades after his death.

The governor said the late military administrator laid foundations in education, healthcare and the economy upon which the six states of the North-East had continued to build.

He said Musa Usman also invested in infrastructure and introduced initiatives aimed at unlocking the region’s economic potential, including the establishment of the Ashaka Cement project.

“What makes his record particularly worthy of remembrance is not only the number of projects undertaken, but the character with which he served,” Zulum said.

He described Musa Usman as a leader known for integrity, modesty, discipline and an uncommon sense of duty.

According to him, the late brigadier belonged to a generation that regarded public office as a responsibility rather than a privilege to be exploited.

“The title of this book, Service and Impact, is therefore most appropriate.

“Service without impact is incomplete, while impact without integrity cannot endure.

“Brigadier Musa Usman combined both. He served with honour, and the consequences of his service remain visible decades after his departure from office,” he said.

In his keynote address, former Chief of Army Staff, Major General (retd.) Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu, said the book was a profound reminder of the sacrifice involved in military service.

He said service was a conscious decision to place the safety, security and freedom of others above personal comfort and, sometimes, survival.

“It is an acknowledgement that there is something greater than the individual,” Nwachukwu said.

He said military service was rarely glamorous, noting that it was often found in the difficult and demanding stages of training where individuals were transformed into a team.

“Musa passed on too early in life, yet your presence looms even larger in our hearts and lives in our society,” he said.

Nwachukwu paid tribute to Musa Usman’s wife, Jumai, for keeping the family together over the years.

He said the occasion provided an opportunity to honour the late brigadier’s contributions to the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, the former North-Eastern State and Nigeria.

“Fare thee well, Musa, where you are in the heavens. Intercede with the Almighty God to make Nigeria a place where we all become to call our home, a place where religion, ethnicity, creed don’t matter,” he said.

He also urged younger Nigerians to learn from the mistakes of previous generations and build a stronger country.

Speaking on behalf of the family, Hassan Musa Usman thanked dignitaries and guests for attending the event.

He said the gathering was itself a tribute to their late father.

Hassan disclosed that the idea for the book came from their mother, Hajia Chioma Jumai Usman, who believed Musa Usman’s life needed to be documented.

He said their late sister also played a major role in bringing the project to fruition before her death just over a year ago.

“We complete this work today in her honour and in his as well,” he said.

Hassan said the book was written not only to document Musa Usman’s military career but also his vision and legacy.

He noted that Musa Usman became governor of the former North-Eastern State at the age of 27, despite initially setting out to become a soldier rather than a statesman.

“He set out to be a soldier, not a statesman. Yet, at the age of 27, he found himself governor of the North Eastern State, the largest subnational landmass in the country,” Hassan said.

He said Musa Usman governed the region for eight years, learning on the job while holding together six states with immense diversity and more than 100 ethnic nationalities.

One of the authors, Theophilus Abbah, said the authors were able to access key personalities because of the goodwill of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon.

“We were able to accomplish this because of the goodwill that General Gowon had. If he hadn’t had that goodwill, we wouldn’t have been able to access the people that we had to interview,” he said.

Abbah also acknowledged the support of Musa Usman’s children, particularly Hassan, during the research process.

Another author, Mahmmud Jega, said “We found the records were intact — all the speeches, the National Memorial programmes, and everything,” Jega said.

He said the researchers also relied on newspaper reports and archives, particularly those of the New Nigerian and other newspapers published during the period.

Jega commended the Borno State History Bureau for preserving speeches, photographs and other historical materials documenting the activities of the late military administrator and other governors of the period.