Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerian leaders to embrace selfless public service and build institutions that will continue to benefit citizens beyond their time in office and the next elections.

Shettima made the call on Monday in Abuja at the public presentation of Service and Impact, a book documenting the life and legacy of Brigadier Musa Usman (rtd), former military governor of the then North-Eastern State, who served from May 27, 1966, to July 25, 1975.

Represented at the event by his aide, Aliyu Modibbo Umar, the vice president said the legacy of leaders should be measured by the institutions they build and the lives they improve rather than by their time in office.

“We must recover the spirit of selflessness in public service and apply it to today’s challenges,” Shettima said, listing reconstruction, agriculture, education, transportation, energy, industrialisation, employment, environmental restoration, peace and security among areas requiring such commitment.

‎He urged leaders to adopt a long-term approach to governance, saying, “We must build beyond the next elections and think beyond political boundaries.”‎

‎Shettima described Musa Usman’s legacy as instructive, particularly because of the former governor’s role in laying foundations for the development of the North-East.‎

‎He said Usman helped establish a functioning state, develop Maiduguri as a regional capital and foster cooperation among communities that now constitute six states.‎

‎Shettima noted that roads, railways, government institutions and residential districts developed during Usman’s tenure transformed Maiduguri into a modern regional capital, adding that successive administrations built on those foundations.

‎The Vice President also commended the publication for preserving Nigeria’s national memory, noting that the North-East was shaped not only by administrators but also by public servants, traditional rulers, business people, farmers, teachers and ordinary citizens.‎

‎He said the book should remind younger generations that lasting leadership is reflected in “the institutions built, lives improved, and society strengthened.”‎

‎Speaking at the event, the governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, said Musa Usman combined integrity with impactful governance, adding that the late military administrator laid foundations in education, healthcare and the economy on which the six states of the North-East continued to build.‎

‎The governor said Usman also invested in infrastructure and introduced initiatives to unlock 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, saying he 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,” Zulum said.‎

‎“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 added.‎

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

‎Nwachukwu said service required individuals to place the safety, security and freedom of others above personal comfort and, in some cases, survival.‎‎

‎He also paid tribute to Musa Usman’s wife, Jumai, for keeping the family together over the years and described the event as an opportunity to honour the late brigadier’s contributions to the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, the former North-Eastern State and Nigeria.‎

Speaking on behalf of the family, Hassan Musa Usman thanked the dignitaries and guests who attended the event, saying their presence constituted a tribute to his late father.‎

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

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

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

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

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

‎One of the authors, Theophilus Abbah, said the research team accessed key personalities through the goodwill of the former North East Governor, Brigadier Musa Usman.‎

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

‎Another author, Mallam Mahmmud Jega, said the researchers found extensive records of Musa Usman’s activities.‎

‎“We found the records were intact – all the speeches, the National Memorial programmes, and everything,” Jega said.‎

‎He said the authors 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 Musa Usman and other governors of the period. (Daily Trust)