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Vice-President Kashim Shettima will on Monday unveil a posthumous biography of the late Brigadier Musa Usman, the pioneer Military Governor of the former North-Eastern State.
The 363-page book, titled Brigadier Musa Usman (1940–1991): Service and Impact, will be presented at the NAF Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja, from 10:00am.
According to a press statement signed by Hassan Tanimu Musa Usman, FCA, on behalf of the family, the biography chronicles the late military officer’s life, career and contributions to the development and administration of the former North-Eastern State.
The book was authored by two Nigerian journalists and intellectuals, Malam Mahmud Jega and Dr Theophilus Abbah.
Brigadier Musa Usman, who served in the Nigerian Air Force, governed the former North-Eastern State between 1967 and 1975.
The vast territory administered by the late military governor has since been divided into six states: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
The statement said Shettima would serve as the Special Guest of Honour and formally unveil the biography at the ceremony.
Major General IBM Haruna, a former Federal Commissioner for Information, will chair the event, while Major General (Senator) Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu is expected to deliver the keynote address.
The Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum, will serve as the Chief Host.
Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe will serve as co-hosts, representing the six states that emerged from the former North-Eastern State administered by Brigadier Usman.
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, will serve as the Book Presenter.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, is also expected to attend the event as a special guest, alongside other prominent Nigerians.
The biography, according to the statement, examines Brigadier Usman’s contribution to the development of the region, particularly in infrastructure, education, healthcare and socio-economic development.
It said his administration laid foundations for systems and infrastructure that continued to influence the development of the region long after his tenure.
The book also traces his early life, military career and rise through the ranks of both the Nigerian Army and the Air Force before his historic appointment as governor.
Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, wrote the foreword to the biography and described the late governor as a man of integrity and honesty.
According to Gowon, Brigadier Usman’s administration recorded significant achievements, particularly in infrastructure development across the North-East.
“Brigadier Musa Usman, who served as Governor of the North Eastern State, was known for his integrity and honesty,” Gowon wrote.
He added that the substantial infrastructure existing in the region was evidence of the achievements recorded under Usman’s administration, noting that the late governor was responsible for investing in many of the developments.
Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, also recalled his personal experience with the late officer and described him as his superior.
Abubakar said he was still a cadet when Usman was posted to the Nigerian Air Force in Kaduna as Commandant.
He recalled that Nigerian authorities had selected Usman to study the system under German officers who had helped establish the Nigerian Air Force, particularly after the departure of the German technical pioneers.
The move, he said, was intended to ensure the stability and continuity of the emerging Nigerian Air Force.
“The late Brigadier Musa Usman wasn’t my colleague; he was my boss,” Abdulsalami was quoted as saying.
He said Usman was handpicked as a young officer to help stabilise the Nigerian Air Force system at a critical stage of its development.
The formal review of the biography will be conducted by Prof Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, Director-General of the Centre for Democratic Development Research and Training (CEDDERT) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The organisers said the book presentation is intended not only to honour the memory of Brigadier Usman but also to examine his contributions to governance and development during one of Nigeria’s critical formative periods.
They said the biography provides an account of a military officer whose administrative legacy continued to shape the region decades after his death.
The event is open to the public and admission is free.
Academics, students, journalists, members of the public and other interested Nigerians have been invited to attend the ceremony and celebrate the legacy of the late military governor.
