The Governor of Anambra, Chief Willie Obiano, has described late first Executive President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, as a beacon of excellence that gave the Igbos a sense of belonging.

He said Shagari’s insistence on excellence led to the appointment of a number of gifted Anambra indigenes, including Dr. Fidelis Ezenebari, who was made the Chief Executive Officer of Ajaokuta Steel Complex, among others, into key public offices.

In a statement made available by the State Commissioner of Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, the Governor expressed sadness that the giant strides made in the steel drive entirely got lost in the mire of military deceit and insincerity.

He recalled that the late President also led the charge in converting the College of Arts and Science at Oko in Anambra State to a Federal Polytechnic.

His words: “Shagari improved on education by authorising the provision of requisite infrastructure to make education qualitative in line with the dreams of Anambra people and other Nigerians.

“It cannot be forgotten that the fallen Nigerian leader was responsible for initiating the use of primary school enrolment as a criterion for allocating national resources, a move that benefitted Anambra State and the nation greatly.

“To crown his efforts as a Nigerian nationalist, ex-President Shagari granted pardon to not just General Yakubu Gowon, who was living in exile in the United Kingdom following charges of complicity in the bloody February 3, 1976 coup attempt, but also to the erstwhile leader of Biafra, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who was living in exile in Cote d’Ivoire for his role in the Biafran Revolution.”

The Governor stated that Anambra State has lost a great friend with the passing away of Ex-President Shagari on Friday, December 28 2018.

He added: “Ex-President Shagari put his emphasis on and he found Anambra people as devoted compatriots to help him carry out his vision.

“It took the initiative of the former President to nominate the hugely cerebral Anambra son, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, as his Vice-President.

“He refused to bend the knee to negativists who raised unnecessary issues about not trusting any person from the other divide of the unfortunate civil war with state power.

“Ex-President Shagari worked effectively with Dr. Ekwueme to give Nigeria a participatory democracy that accommodated all sections of the vast country from 1979 to 1983. Shagari’s belief in Ekwueme led to the re-nomination of the renowned architect, historian, town planner, sociologist and philosopher, for the second tenure which they won before the military tragically truncated democratic rule.”

Obiano observed that for the military coup that scuttled their administration, Shagari had placed Ekwueme on the saddle to succeed him as President saying: ‘That would have effectively put an end to the marginalisation agitations following the civil war.

“Anambra State and indeed all patriotic Nigerians cannot thank Shagari enough for this courageous feat. The love of Shagari and Anambra State was mutual. Nigeria’s first President, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, led his Nigeria Peoples Party (NPP) into a working accord with Shagari’s National Party of Nigeria (NPN) to steady the ship of state of Nigeria’s then-nascent democracy in 1979.

“Shagari lived a memorable life and passed on at the ripe age of 93, just a year after his deputy, Ekwueme, died. Ndi-Anambra mourns and celebrates our great friend Shagari deeply. Adieu, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Shagari, the first Executive President of Nigeria and an ardent lover of Ndi-Anambra.”