Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerian leaders to build strong institutions and implement policies capable of serving the people long after they leave office.
Shettima made the call on Monday in Abuja, where he was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Aliyu Modibbo, at the presentation of a book documenting the life and legacy of Brigadier Musa Usman, the pioneer military governor of the former North-Eastern State.
The Vice President said the true measure of leadership should be determined by the institutions established, lives improved and society strengthened after a leader’s tenure.
“We must build beyond the next elections and think beyond political boundaries. Leadership is measured by what continues to serve the people after the leader has left office,” Shettima said.
He described the book presentation as an opportunity to honour a generation of public servants who regarded public office as a responsibility and an opportunity to build lasting institutions and serve the people.
Shettima commended the authors, Mahmud Jega and Theophilus Aba, for documenting and preserving the story of Musa Usman, whose contributions, he said, remain evident across the North-East.
According to the Vice President, the former North-Eastern State, which was created in 1967, covered a vast and diverse territory that now comprises six states.
He urged present-day leaders to draw lessons from the legacies of past public servants by prioritising institution-building and long-term development over short-term political interests.
