Many Nigerians, especially youths, grew up to be conversant with the popular statement ‘Ghana Must Go’, which was equally named after a checkered plastic bag; but majority lack the understanding, author and rationale behind that aphorism.

It is not unconnected to Late Shehu Usman Shagari, Nigeria’s first and only President of the Second Republic, who served between 1979 and 1983.

History has it that Nigeria was badly shaken by the international economic crisis of the early 1980s, worsened by low oil prices.

Shagari, who was the then president, took several steps to strengthen the economy, by cutting the budget, calling in the International Monetary Fund, IMF for help and expelling millions of foreigners without official immigration documents in 1983.

Ghanaians were the worst hit, with over one million of them affected by the order. Ghanaians were mostly attracted to Nigeria because of the oil boom of the ’70s, but by 1983, the economy had weakened and was fast falling apart.

The migration was then named “Ghana Must Go” and the bag, what Ghanaians used in moving their belongings, was named after the migration and the name stuck till date.

With mixed reactions, Nigerians received the news of Shagari’s demise on Friday, December 28, 2018.

While many were sad that the country had lost a legendary political figure, who had lived a very silent lifestyle, after bowing out of office in 1983, some were happy because he lived not just a fulfilling & impactful life, but died at a age of nobility. 93!

Although, Shagari died on Friday, December 28, 2018, a couple of months to his 94th birthday (which would have been February 25, 2019), but he had already written his name into golden history books.

The story of Nigeria will be inconclusive without his footprint.

When Shagari was sworn in as the new leader of Nigeria on October 1, 1979, he became the first executive president of the country.

Previously, Nigeria operated a parliamentary system of government and only had a ceremonial president, without executive powers. Shagari, at 54, became the head of state, head of government and commander-in-chief of the armed forces under the presidential system patterned after the variant practised in the US.

Many Nigerians thought he just materialised from nowhere to become president in 1979. Far from it.

Before then, he had occupied various senior positions in government — he was minister of economic development from 1959 to 1960, minister of pensions from 1960 to 1962, minister of internal affairs from 1962 to 1965, and was minister of works from 1965 to 1966, when the military struck and ended Nigeria’s first experience of democracy.

More so, Shagari was made the Turaki of the Fula Sokoto Caliphate in 1962 by the Sultan of Sokoto, Siddiq Abubakar III.

Turaki means an officer at court, in this case referring to the sultan’s court at the palace of Sokoto.

In addition, he held the chieftaincy titles of the

Ochiebuzo of Ogbaland, the Ezediale of Aboucha and the Baba Korede of Ado Ekiti.

During his regime as president, there was oil boom; Shagari made Housing, Industries, Transportation and Agriculture the major goals of his administration.

In transportation, he launched some road networks across the country. He also initiated a program to foster the use of mechanical machinery in farming. This initiative favored large scale farmers in order to produce mass products.

Also, his government embarked on a ‘Green Revolution’ project, where seeds and fertilizers were distributed to farmers, in order to increase nationwide productivity in farming.

Shagari also created a low cost housing scheme. In 1980, with the oil revenue, Shagari finished building the Kaduna refinery, which started operating that year.

Also with the oil revenue, Shagari concluded the construction of an additional steel plant and three rolling mills at Ajaokuta. He equally completed the Delta Steel complex in 1982.

In 1983, Shagari created the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria at Ikot Abasi.

However, Shagari reduced the share of oil royalties and rents to state of origin from 30 to 2 percent.

Then, there was fall in oil prices, which began in 1981, and affected the finances of the Nigerian government.

Shagari initiated an Economic Stabilization Program to help protect the country against a hard landing from prior highs of the 1970s and to steer the economy towards positive growth.

Key objectives of the program were to limit import licenses, reduce government spending and raise custom duties. However, the result from the stabilization program was minimal.

In the 1983 elections, Shagari administration was plagued by allegations of corruption, including allegations of electoral fraud

This, coupled with a decline in world oil prices, and a deterioration in the national finances, hardship, lead to the regime becoming deeply unpopular with citizens.

Shagari was then overthrown by General

Muhammadu Buhari (who is now the current president) in a military coup on December 31, 1983.

Shehu Shagari married three wives: Amina, Aishatu anf Hadiza Shagari. He has many children.

However, his most visible children are Captain Muhammad Bala Shagari (Rtd) and Hon. Aminu Shehu Shagari.

Shagari died on 28h December 2018, at the National Hospital in Abuja at the age of 93.

He was until his death, a Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and had been described by many as an elder statesman, icon, legendary political figure, hero, and many more positive words pouring out from Nigerians about him.

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo said Shagari was a man of honour, an achiever and a unifying force for the nation , whose contributions to the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria cannot be easily forgotten, and who lived nobly and died in nobility.

In the words of his eldest child, Capt Bala Shagari, (rtd), who was detained, and retired by the Major-General Muhammadu Buhari regime, “he was never greedy and he wss a person who never solicits anything or position, only gets it purely on merit.”

• His family, must indeed, be proud to have him as one of their own, and of course, history would  never stop honouring Shagari’s contented lifestyle.