By A CORRESPONDENT
He was everything a man could have been, achieved everything a man could have achieved in life, in this physical realm. He achieved fame, power, influence and…you expected to hear wealth, right? You bet! Because few there are in these parts who would achieve fame, power and influence in these parts and not be flowing in affluence.
But you just wait…First, who and what was Nigeria’s Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno?
- He was president of OPEC 1972-73
- Minister for Air Force 1965-1966
- Minister of Mines and Power, Petroleum & Energy 1972 – 1975
- Fed Commissioner Trade 1967-1971
- Leader of Nigerian delegation to UNCAD II, New Delhi in 1968
- Member of Nigerian delegation to United Nations for over 10 years
- Pro-chancellor, University of Calabar 1978-80
- Pro-chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) 1980-84
- National honors Ethiopian Empire, Republic of Egypt, Sudan and Cameroon 1970
- Trustee Girl Guides Association of Nigeria 1970-90
- Deputy National Chairman National Party of Nigeria December 1980-84
- Chairman Maiduguri Metropolitan Council 1977–78
- Member Constituent Assembly 1977-78
- Director Nigbel Bank Nigeria ltd 1988
- Chairman Borno Education Endowment Fund 1986
- Conferred with National Honor – Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic CFR 1982
That’s who and what the late Shettima Ali Monguno was. Outstanding personality, wasn’t he? And yet, he died with only one house to his name, a house he built with a N40,000 loan, which he repaired in installments over time!
Now, you got the hang of the story? Monguno operated in the same country, this same country, where a former public officer, a former this, a former that like Monguno was, once boasted he is richer than his home State.
In 1974, Monguno wanted to build a house in Maiduguri, the capital of his home State. He applied for a N40,000 bank loan but the bank wanted a guarantor. So, Monguno approached his boss, General Yakubu Gowon, Head of State and Commander-in-Chief, for a letter to that effect. But Gowon refused, saying that it would amount to abuse of office for him to allow him to take a loan to build his personal house.
You can say anything about General Yakubu Gowon but certainly not that he didn’t understand the importance of acting morally while occupying high public office.
Ok, but this is about the great Ali Monguno.
So, Monguno mulled his options. At that time, the construction giant, Julius Berger was already well established in Nigeria. Mungonu approached them to build the house for him. They agreed but on one condition: Julius Berger would build the house and then rent it out for the number of years it would take to recover the N40,000 from Mungonu’s salary. He agreed and that was how he came to build his bungalow in Maiduguri. He had to build it via a BOOT (Build, Own, Operate and Transfer) arrangement with Julius Berger.
Today, the easiest means to wealth, stupendous wealth, is public office. It has been estimated that almost half of the choice properties in Abuja, Lagos and the state capitals are owned by public servants. Corruption rules!
The late Dr. Shettima Ali Monguno attended primary school , Teacher’s College Bauchi and Katsina , College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, Moray House College of Education and the University of Edinburgh.
He received keys to the cities of New York City, Louisville, Kentucky, the United States, Quito, Ecuador and and Lima, the Peruvian capital city.
May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God continue to rest in peace. Amen!
