Shettima Ali Monguno, one of Nigeria’s foremost elder statesman and a former minister of mines and petroleum in the first republic has passed away.
He died at the age of 90, on Friday, July 8, at his home in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, Premium Times reports.
His death was officially announced by the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, through a statement by the secretary to the state government, Jidda Shuwa.
The statement read: “It is with a deep sense of loss and profound sadness that we announce, on behalf of His Excellency the executive governor of Borno state and the Borno state government, the passage of our father and distinguished statesman, Alhaji (Dr.) Shettima Ali Monguno.
He died this evening, Friday, 8th July, 2016. “His burial will, insha Allah (by the grace of God) take place tomorrow, Saturday, 9th July, 2016 at 2pm at his residence, near government house, Old GRA, Maiduguri. “May Allah (SWA) forgive his sins and grant him abode in Aljanat Firdaus, and may Allah grant his family and the entire people of Borno State the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”
Monguno is survived by his wife, children and many grandchildren.
The elder statesman was a victim of the deadly Boko Haram sect when he was abducted in broad day by gunmen at a mosque where he had gone to pray on Friday, May 3, 2013.
He later regained his freedom and since then his GRA Maiduguri home, adjacent the Borno state government house, remained guarded by armed security personnel. Monguno was education secretary and councillor for education, works and social welfare Borno local government from 1959 – 1965; federal minister for Air Force and internal affair 1965 – 1966; minister mines and power, petroleum and energy 1972 – 1975.
He was president of OPEC between 1972 and 1973 and a former presidential candidate during the 1990 option A4 political arrangement, when the military experiment failed transition to civil rule. Monguno also served as pro-chancellor of University of Calabar from 1978 to 1980; pro-chancellor of University of Nigeria 1980 to 1984.
He was a deputy national chairman of the National Party of Nigeria from December 1980 to 1984 and was conferred with national honour – Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic CFR in 1982.
Until his final retirement from public function some three years ago, Monguno was the chairman of the Borno Elders Forum and he was known as a philanthropist who committed his time and resources to charity through his Shettima Ali Monguno Foundation that focussed mainly on the education of poor children especially the girl child. He was said to have sold his only home in Abuja and used part of the proceed to build a female hostel at the University of Maiduguri as part of his charity work towards advancing girl child education in Borno state.
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