PERSPECTIVE WITH CHIEF ISAAC SHAAHU
The name Hon. Chief Isaac Shaahu is common with those who are conversant with the political history of Nigeria. He was part of the Executive Council of the second republic dispensation in Nigeria led by Shehu Shagari. The elder-statesman was the Minister of Commerce. Not many people still remember him today having retired to his hometown in Gboko. The Transmitter unearthed the life model, who spoke on his political journey and state of the Nigerian nation. Excerpts:
THE TRANSMITTER: Sir, may you share your political experience with us?
CHIEF SHAAHU: It is difficult to be a politician and so is it with any other field of endeavour. About being a politician, it must be an individual affair, that is, it should be a personal conviction. Let no one encourage any other into politics; it is a field that is full of many difficulties; it is a field that is full of many ups and downs.
THE TRANSMITTER: What then is your political conviction?
CHIEF SHAAHU: Personally, I can point at two or more reasons. First, when I was a little boy, I was of this habit of fighting back at the elderly ones whenever I felt I was unduly maltreated. I hardly could let anyone go no matter how big they were. Perhaps, that was some kind of political awakening. Secondly, as a worker with the Tiv Native Authority, I was placed where I had the feelings of being in charge. I was barely 22 years of age. I was in charge of the Works Department; I was saddled with the responsibility of all roads within the Native Authroity. These roads included: Federal roads running through the jurisdiction of the authority and which were classified as Trunk ‘A’ roads, Native Authority roads known as Trunk ‘B’ roads and district roads which were known as Trunk ‘C’ roads.
THE TRANSMITTER: How does this ignited your conviction?
CHIEF SHAAHU: The experience with the Native Authority impacted on me a lot. Remember I was just 22 and being in such position at such age and at that time was a big responsibility. Along the line in the course of work, I came in early contact with Late Senator J.S Tarka. He was my teacher then in Katsina-Ala. He was my political boss and he used to encourage me a lot; knowing who I was. And it happened that I was his compound cleaner. Katsina-Ala was divided into compounds; a compound was headed by the head teacher who in turn was deputized by another. J.S was a deputy head teacher and I was appointed as his cleaner. We were usually given some kind of compound wears which after a while, we would change into a style suitable to us. The senior boys then, as we used to call them would come and demand we gave ours to them. When I was to become a victim, I say to myself that it would not happen to me and took the matter to J.S. He called the boys and dealt with them mercilessly. From then henceforth, my way was always avoided by the senior boys. To me I felt that all these were some kind of build up to political consciousness. With J.S support, I was lucky at almost every political move I made. One incident that paved the way for me in politics was the ambition of Amua, my District Head who had wanted somebody from his clan in politics. He had either wanted a son of his as Councilor, Member of the State Assembly or as it was then known, member of the Northern Assembly or, on the general basis, anything political. Because, we were divided into three clans: Iwarev, Mbavar and Ishangev-Tiev. Ishange-Tiev had it in Tsue Daka, Anthony Tarmena, Iwarev had in someone I have forgotten his name who came in from Jos and Jeghke who came from the Post Office to become a counselor. At this point, Amua vowed that he must have someone as his political eyes. My closeness to J.S now made it easier for me. I went in for the councillorship and won. At the council, I was the youngest and at this time, Lushakya Anjah was reelected for the second term from the Masev. Before I was elected, he had held the position of Head of Finance and Works. At this instance, I demanded one of his positions be given to me and my wish was granted. Before then, I was his secretary. I contested against Anjah and lost out with about four votes behind him. Already I was in the Works Department and that was where my interest really laid. My political mentors insisted I went in for the chairman of the council. I went in and won. At a point, my attention was drawn by my mentor, J.S. Tarka. He told me he needed someone in the Northern Assembly. According to him, he had found me of resolute determination. On the wings of J.S, I flew swifter than my rivals.
THE TRANSMITTER: J.S Tarka obviously influenced your political career?
CHIEF SHAAHU: He was of course, a mentor and was not just like any other mentor you may come across today. I devoted myself to serve J.S because I shared in his foresight. He was for the Middle Belt. While I was still a Counselor at the Central Council, a lot of things which I suspected disenchanted J.S took place. All of the Divisional Officers who were replacing the colonial masters were not core northerners as they could pretend, they were. These were minority tribes who abandoned the course of Independence, converted to Islam and were doing the biddings of the Sardauna. All these spurred the energies of J.S towards restoring the position of the Tiv in the affairs of the middle region, as the most respectable tribe in the region.
THE TRANSMITTER: What was the highest political position you held?
CHIEF SHAAHU: My highest was the election into the House of Representatives and my appointment as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. However, my political trajectory received much attention while I served in the Northern Assembly. We were elected one hundred and seventy-five members into the Assembly. I emerged the leader of the opposition. When a new political dispensation opened in Nigeria in 1979, we sat among ourselves and decided that it was no longer wise going to the Northern Assembly. We contested among ourselves and I was elected a member of House of Representative billed for the Lagos Parliament House. Julius Ayua decided and settled for the State Assembly where he justified his decision to guide the younger lawmakers in the state. While in Lagos, the seat of the Speaker was zoned to the Middle Belt. Following the demise of J.S. Tarka, Shehu Shagari singled me out for a Ministerial appointment which then, made it impossible to continue as a member of and speaker of the House of Representatives. Middle Belt lawmakers decided unanimously that Benjamin Chaha be made the Speaker. On the other side of the executive arm, I was appointed Minister for Commerce.
THE TRANSMITTER: How can compare politics of then and now?
CHIEF SHAAHU: Then, we were learning from our colonial masters. Today, politicians are not ready to learn from those of us who got this knowledge from our colonial masters. They simply ask who is Shaahu? Has he any money or my standard of educational qualification? Politics of today is not for the community, state or the nation. What one needs now is to amass wealth for himself and immediate family members. I only heard on the Radio that Chairmanship Elections were conducted in the state where the Peoples’ Democratic Party won in all the seats contested. I asked if truly there was an election in the state and my wife replied in affirmative.
THE TRANSMITTER: Would you say you have been sidelined?
CHIEF SHAAHU: It is a general agreement among young politicians that we the old guard should be completely neglected. It is no wonder we are called living ancestors, which by extension, indicates we shouldn’t have been alive.
THE TRANSMITTER: Comment on Nigeria, then and now in the comity of nations?
CHIEF SHAAHU: We were placed very high among countries who got independence in the early sixties. However, the current situation in the country indicates that we are in a tangle of one foot forward, five feet backward. At the wake of Independence, Nigeria was placed alongside Philippine and India. Nigeria was classified as a nation with higher prospects. But sadly, ours is the worse among all these nations. All the industries which were active in the sixties and seventies are now completely dysfunctional. The railway is gone and everything with it.
THE TRANSMITTER: Is there hope for the nation?
CHIEF SHAAHU: Of course, there is. Nigeria will rise again. But we must go back and pick from where we left. As soon as we are able to do this, we can probably right our wrongs, correct our errors. Also, we must believe God can intervene in our case; there is nothing beyond the help of God. The current global disease, COVID-19 is one amongst many things God is using as reminder to mankind that it is high time we turned and submitted ourselves to will and guidance. I think I have in an unconscious manner answered your question: let’s go back to where we got it wrong. Like in computer programming, we must retrace our footsteps.
THE TRANSMITTER: How do we curb youth restiveness in the state?
CHIEF SHAAHU: We are farmers. We only got educated because of colonial influences. We must look back to agriculture. Also, parents nowadays no longer want their children to be punished by others. In my days as a child, there was no hiding place; when you did something wrong in the presence of an elder. So, there was no room for misbehaviour. The story is different today. We must correct some of these abnormalities for a quicker recovery from societal moral backwardness.
THE TRANSMITTER: Talking about Agriculture, it is known that many are discouraged towards it because of poor inputs and implements. How can this be tackled?
CHIEF SHAAHU: It is a problem entirely different from the rest. When I was the Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, I procured Tractors which I efficiently managed until the “big men” decided it was time to use them as their national cake. At the expiration of my tenure, these tractors were hired out and none returned back to the base. This culture must change.
