Shettima Ali Monguno, CFR (1926 – 8 July 2016) was a Nigerian educationalist and politician, born 1926 in Monguno- Borno state, He attended Monguno primary school, Teacher’s College Bauchi and Katsina, college of arts, science, and technology Zaria, Moray House college of education, and the University of Edinburgh.
Late Dr Shettima Ali Monguno, served the country as Nigeria’s Minister of Air force (1965-66), Minister of Trade & Power (1967-71), First Minister of Petroleum in (1972-76), and OPEC President (1972-73) but died with only one house, a house he obtained through the loan of N40,000 (Installment payments).
In 1974 he wanted to build a house in Maiduguri, he applied for N40,000 bank loan, the bank wanted a guarantor. He approached his boss, General Yakubu Gowon the then Head of State and Commander-in-Chief, for a letter to this effect, Gowon utterly refused, saying that it would amount to an abuse of office for him to allow him to take a loan to build the house.
Julius Berger was already well established then, He approached them to build the house for him. They agreed on one condition: Julius Berger would build the house and then rent it out for the number of years it would take to recover the N40,000 from his Salary.
Shettima agreed. That was how he built his bungalow in Maiduguri.
Shettima was well known, served as M.P. in (1959), education secretary and councillor for education work, and social welfare Borno, local Government (1959-65), Federal Minister for Air Force and Internal Affairs (1965-66), Federal Commissioner for Trade and Industries (1967-71), Minister Mines and Power, Petroleum and Energy (1972-75).
Shettima Ali Monguno was also President, OPEC, (1972/1973). He was a Presidential Candidate during the Option A4 Elections in the early 1990s in Nigeria.
He was also a leader of the Nigerian delegation to UNCAD II New Delhi in 1968 and member Nigerian delegation to the United Nations for over 10 years.
He received keys to the cities of New York City, Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Quito, Ecuador; and Lima, Peru. Yet he didn’t have the resources to build a house!
He could only do it via a BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer) arrangement with Julius Berger.
Why can’t we have such men in power today again?
