Barely 24 hours after 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE’s exclusive story detailing how the family of the first elected governor of old Sokoto state, Shehu Kangiwa, was abandoned and his benefits withheld 40 years after his death, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has visited the family and promised to pay all the late governor’s entitlements.
On Sunday, 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE exclusively reported how the one- storey building belonging to the family of late Kangiwa became deserted and desolate.
Tambuwal, in company of some of his top aides, on Monday, paid an unscheduled visit to the Kangiwa’s residence located at Kagara Street, off Agaie Road, in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Sokoto metropolis. The governor arrived the residence of the late governor around 4 pm.
Kangiwa, who was fondly called the ‘Smiling governor,’ ruled Sokoto State (now Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states) between October 1979 to November 1981.
However, despite Kangiwa’s sterling legacies in terms of projects, programmes and policies accomplished during his two-year stint as governor, his family now lives in penury, squalor and abject poverty.
Forty years after his death, it took weeks of persuasions and follow-ups for 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE to convince the former first family of old Sokoto state speak.
At last, they opened up to our reporter for the first time on how life has been to them 40 years after the tragic demise of their breadwinner.
What Tambuwal told Kangiwa’s family
The governor, accompanied by his deputy, Maniru Dan’iya and the Speaker of the Sokoto House of Assembly, Aminu Achida, among others, said they have paid all the old governors of the state their gratuities and pensions.
“So Malam Abba (Shehu Kangiwa’s son) is here, we will task him to give us record. If he has record that shows that our leader’s death benefit has not been paid, we will pay them because we are under obligation to look after them, anything they want.”
Tambuwal added that, “And if there is any support they want (Kangiwa’s family); they don’t have to go to the press. We are all your brothers. Shehu Kangiwa is our benefactor, our leader. We will continue to support his family and pray for the repose of his soul. May Allah have mercy on him.
“Now that Malam Abba is here, I will invite him to the Government House. If there is anything, let us sit down and discuss it.”
Tambuwal, however, explained that “We have not completely paid that (benefits) of the deputy governors. That is the record I have. And from my interaction with the Governor of Kebbi state, I know he has been reaching out to the members of this family,” he said.
The governor said he has been in contact with one of the late governor’s sons, Mukhtar Shehu Kangiwa, but he never drew his attention to the plight of their family.
“I have been talking to Mukhtar (one of the sons of the late Shehu Kangiwa) periodically. Anytime I ask him: is there anything Malam Mukhtar? Malam Mukhtar will say there is nothing. In fact, there is one or two things he raised with me, and we will address those issues,” he said.
Tambuwal mulls converting Kangiwa’s house to library or museaum
On the late governor’s property, Tambuwal said: “When Ministry of Land and Housing approached me that there was encroachment, as you can see on this property, from the set back, I said they should allow it. I told them it is our leader’s, leave it.
“That was what I did. So, I am not aware of any concern. Like I said, this property does not belong to one member of the family. If the family now agrees that they want the Sokoto state government to take over this property, use it either as a library or museum or whatever that is deserving of our father, to immortalize him, we are very willing to do that.”
Agonies of ‘smiling governor’s family
Despite the numerous legacies bequeathed to the old Sokoto State, Kangiwa’s family are living with no smile on their faces, according to his son, Ahmad Shehu Kangiwa.
Ahmad, who is the last born of the late governor, told 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE in Sokoto that their father had only left good name for them not wealth.
He said his father died when he was about two years old, so he could not say much about him.
“But any time people talk about his legacies, we feel very happy. He had not left wealth for us but a good name which is more important,” he said.
He said since his father’s death, the only things the family have been enjoying from government are bags of grains during Ramadan fasting period and sacrificial animals during Eid -el- Kabir.
“The Sokoto state government has been donating grains and sacrificial lambs to the family every fasting and eid periods. And Kebbi state government also donated grains and money to the family during the last Sallah festival. We forever remain ever grateful to them,” Ahmad said.
40 years after, no death benefits for Kangiwa
He, however, revealed that, the family were yet to receive the benefits of their father since his death.
“There was a time, I went to the Sokoto State Ministry for Establishment and Pension to claim his death benefits. But they said they could only pay us when there was a legislation in respect of that by the state House of Assembly.
“But we learnt that, his successor, Alhaji Garba Nadama, who served as his deputy before his death, was paid his benefits, So, also former Governor, Yahya Abdulkareem. They were all paid by the Sokoto state government.
“We are appealing to Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to come to our aid,” Ahmad said.
Widows struggle for family upkeep
Ahmad, who is fondly called Abba in the family, recalled that, all the nine children left behind by their late father were trained up to the tertiary level by their mothers.
“None of us was granted scholarship despite the promised made by his successor that, our educational responsibilities would be shouldered by the state government,” he said.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE gathered that, of the nine children, only seven are still alive, comprising two women and five men.
Some of them worked with the Sokoto state government before getting federal jobs, but Abba is still a staff of the Sokoto State House of Assembly.
Additionally, only three of his four wives are still alive.
Kangiwa’s residence in ruins
Our correspondent observed the Sokoto residence of the late Kangiwa where he lived till death is in dire need of rehabilitation.
The house was built when Kangiwa was a federal permanent secretary.
Part of the house was sold out by his children to meet some of their financial problems.
“He left behind four houses, one in Argungu, one in Sokoto. I learnt that he owned two houses in Kaduna when he lived there and long after sharing the property among his inheritors, some started selling theirs to solve one financial problem or the other, including part of this house that I am living in,” he said
We were abndoned after Kangiwa’s death – Widow
One of the surviving wives, Hajiya Aisha who is fondly called Aisha Buzuwa reminisced her short stay with her husband.
“He is the type who cares much for his family and always tried to make them happy,” she told 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE.
She corroborated that, they trained their children themselves, including shouldering the marital expenses of their daughters.
Hajiya Buzuwa added that, they are still hoping to get his benefits, 40 years after his death.
She appealed to the Sokoto State government to do something about their situation because they are losing some of their members, including her only daughter.
Kangiwa was elected governor of Sokoto under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) but his administration was short-lived.
He died in November 1981, falling from a horse while playing polo in the 1981 edition of the Georgian League in Kaduna. He left behind nine children at the time.
