Shettima Mustafa

Shettima Mustafa
OFR
Federal Minister of Agriculture
In office
August 1990 – 1992
Federal Minister of Defense
In office
17 December 2008 – 14 July 2009
Preceded byMahmud Yayale Ahmed
Succeeded byGodwin Abbe
Federal Minister of Interior
In office
14 July 2009 – 17 March 2010
Preceded byGodwin Abbe
Succeeded byEmmanuel Iheanacho
Personal details
Born(1939-11-26)26 November 1939
Nguru, British Nigeria
Died17 November 2022(2022-11-17) (aged 82)
Political party
EducationAhmadu Bello University
University of Cambridge
Purdue University

Shettima Mustafa OFR (26 November 1939 – 17 November 2022) was a Nigerian academic and politician. After an early career in medicine, local administration, and media, Mustafa studied agriculture at university, eventually earning a Doctor of Philosophy degree. He became a commissioner in Borno State and joined the Nigerian People's Party, becoming their vice-presidential candidate in 1983. He was jailed after the military coup of December 1983 led by Muhammadu Buhari. After his release in 1985 he taught agriculture at the University of Maiduguri and became head of the Jos region of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Mustafa served as Minister of Agriculture from 1990 to 1992, and in 2007 was appointed Minister of Defence in the cabinet of President Umaru Yar'Adua. In 2008 he became Minister of the Interior but left office with the 2010 dissolution of the cabinet.[1]

Background

Shettima Mustafa was born on 26 November 1939 in Nguru, now in Yobe State. He attended Borno middle school in Maiduguri (from 1946 to 1952, and trained as a medical field assistant in Kano from 1955 to 1956. He worked in the Borno Native Administration from 1954 to 1964, and then with Radio Television Kaduna until 1967. At age 28, he was admitted into Ahmadu Bello University, graduating in 1972 and then working as a researcher with the university's Institute for Agricultural Research. From 1973 to 1974 he attended the University of Cambridge, where he earned a postgraduate diploma in applied biology. He continued to work towards a PhD, attending Purdue University, Indiana in the United States in 1978, and obtaining his PhD in 1979.[2] He also completed a course in agricultural projects monitoring and evaluation at the University of East Anglia in 1990.[3]

Mustafa died on 17 November 2022, at age 82.[3]

Public career

Shettima Mustafa was appointed a commissioner in the Borno State government under Governor Mohammed Goni.[2] He rose steadily in the political ranks and was vice-presidential candidate on the Nigerian People's Party platform in the 1983 election. However, the incumbent Shehu Shagari of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) won the election.[4] After the military coup of December 1983 in which Major General Muhammadu Buhari came to power, he was jailed until 1985. On his release he returned to part-time teaching at the University of Maiduguri. He then became a regional head in Jos the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.[2] In August 1990, Shettima Mustafa was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, holding that post until the cabinet dissolved in 1992.[4]

Following this, he became an advisor to various local and international organisations, and became the national treasurer of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), a position he held between 1998 and 2001. He became a fellow of the Genetic Society of Nigeria, a member of the American Society of Agronomy and a member of the Agricultural Society of Nigeria.[5] He was chair of the Presidential Visitation Panel to the University of Agriculture in 1999,[6] and chairman of Savannah Bank from April 2000 to August 2001.[6] In November 2000 Mustafa was appointed to the Order of the Federal Republic.[7] In 2002, Shettima Mustafa was nominated to the board of the Savannah Bank, although he was not a shareholder.[8] By 2004 he was chairman of the Presidential National Tree Nursery Development Committee.[6]

Yar'Adua Cabinet

Shettima Mustafa was appointed Defence Minister of Nigeria by President Umaru Yar'Adua.[9] On 14 July 2008, he traded places with Godwin Abbe, becoming Minister of the Interior.[10] He left office in March 2010 when Acting President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved his cabinet.[11]

References

  1. ^ "New Nigerian ministers nominated". Al Jazeera. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "Our People – Dr. Shettima Mustafa (OFR)". Youth for Technology Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  3. ^ a b Emejor, Chibuzor (17 November 2022). "Former Agric Minister, Shettima Mustafa Dies At 83 [sic] – Independent Newspaper Nigeria". independent.ng. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Rigorous Scrutiny for Ministerial Nominees". ThisDay. 17 November 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  5. ^ Madu Onuorah and Alifa Daniel (19 November 2008). "Budget '09 still hangs, Senate to screen 13 ministers". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 December 2009.[dead link]
  6. ^ a b c Abdulkadir, A. T.; Maradun, A. A.; Babajo, Mustafa (2004). Makers of Northern Nigeria. De Imam Ventures. p. 309.
  7. ^ Mustafa, Shettima (2001). Biographical Sketches of Prominent Personalities of Borno: Focus on Alh. (Dr.) Shettima Ali Monguno (CFR). Awosanmi Press (Nig.) Limited. p. 124. ISBN 978-978-028-356-8.
  8. ^ Ernest Sofoluwe (6 May 2002). "CBN Vs Savannah Bank: CUI Bono?". ThisDay. Archived from the original on 26 November 2005. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  9. ^ "Yar'Adua names cabinet". Africa News. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  10. ^ Daniel Idonor (14 July 2009). "Cabinet Shake-up : Yar'Adua moves Godwin Abbe to Defence Ministry". Vanguard. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  11. ^ Daniel Idonor (17 March 2010). "Jonathan Sacks Ministers". Vanguard. Retrieved 14 April 2010.