Mariam Shekari, the daughter of Stephen Shekari, a former Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, and Rifkatu Irene Shekari, a graduate of Cornell, a top-class Ivy League American university, has been a loyal and amiable Personal Assistant to me for a long time.

She lost her beloved brother George on Monday. I invited her to submit a tribute for publication. Here it is:

George, you were the sweetest soul, with the gentlest smile that could light up even the darkest days. Your unwavering support and love were the bedrock of our family, a true pillar we could always lean on. Your kindness, warmth, and strength will forever be cherished in our hearts. Though your passing leaves a void, your legacy and cherished memories will forever be etched in our hearts.

Farewell, dear brother. You will be deeply missed. Rest in peace, dear brother. Your spirit will continue to inspire and guide us.

BIOGRAPHY OF LATE MR GEORGE DANJUMA KATUNG SHEKARI.

Late George D.K Shekari was born on the 23rd of June 1972 in Kaduna state to the family of the late Stephen Rijo Shekari and Mrs Rifkatu Irene Shekari both of blessed memory.

He started from Capital Primary School and later proceeded to Baptist High-School Jos, Plateau State, from 1982 to 1987.

He then attended the Nigerian Defense Academy, NDA, from 1990-1992 with the 42 regular course Delta battalion.

He obtained a diploma in computer certification and desktop publishing in 1998. He had a BSC in Criminology and Security studies in 2017 at the Open University. In 2020 he was one of the inductees with the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, ANAN, and a postgraduate professional diploma in accountancy in 2021.

Gorgi Porgy, as he was fondly called by his friends, worked extensively in the cybersecurity field and was the CEO of El-Jojan Integrated Concepts Limited , a role he occupied till the time of his demise.

He married his best friend and soulmate Helen Shekari (Nee Eda) on 24th March 2007. He is survived by five  children. He also left behind six uncles, aunties, cousins, supportive friends and loved ones.

His body will be laid to rest at the Stephen Shekari’s family home at Kamrum Bajju of Zango Kataf Local on the 14th of March 2025.

Consequences of docile, timid and compromised followership

I thought I should also share some interesting thoughts my uncle, Jonas Odocha (a former Group General Manager at NNPC), recently sent me:

Leadership is predicated on a tripod of Trust, Vision and Courage. Little wonder that senior management programmes often make reference to two metaphoric leadership scenarios: that of a pack of lions led by a rabbit, compared to a pack of rabbits led by a lion. We can relate this to the human society and draw our conclusions to the Nigerian state of affairs: leadership roles and the passivity of the followership.

Energy is the capacity to do work, and a potent tool for growth and development. Our dismal level of development is a direct consequence of our inability to generate enough power, despite our endowment of natural energy resources, both renewable and non-renewable. In 1980, a professional body, the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, NMGS, after its annual international conference, had submitted an Energy Policy to the government, emphasizing the inclusion of Solar renewable power in the Nigerian energy mix.

Forty-five years after, can we today beat our chest that any measurable progress was made in that direction by the Nigerian leadership? Another worrisome and rather lamentable scenario is the case of all our four refineries of 445,000bpd capacity that went moribund for almost two decades, leading to the recourse of importation of petroleum products and its overall economic downturn. But what was the reaction of the Nigerian followership during all those years of suffering and economic woes?

A few weeks ago, two former Nigerian leaders were summoned to Paris France, over $2.3bn arbitration proceedings filed against Nigeria by Sunrise Power, in the case of an alleged breach of contract by the Federal government. Is this not embarrassing enough for our country, as a major contract worth $6bn and expected to boost our power generation by 3,050MW from a hydropower station situated at the Manbilla plateau, Taraba state, turned out to be the biggest abandoned project in Nigeria?

But the Nigerian followership have remained passive in the face of all these leadership flaws. It is even more worrisome that their representatives that are charged with constitutional oversight functions have turned blind, deaf and dumb over such negligent issues that impede our progress. Yet we all know that there is no growth or development that can ever occur when the citizenry remain docile, timid and compromised, allowing their leadership to navigate roughshod through critical national matters.

In this 2025, may we turn a new leaf and speak up to power and leadership, whenever we encounter issues that are not in the best interests of our country.