Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria’s journey toward lasting peace, unity and sustainable development depends on leaders who place justice, public welfare and national cohesion above personal interests.
Shettima made the remarks on Monday in Lafia, Nasarawa State, during the 70th Birthday and Valedictory Celebration of the 16th Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I, whom he described as a shining example of the type of leadership Nigeria needs across all regions.
The Vice President, who was on a one-day working visit to the state, praised the monarch’s remarkable transition from the judiciary to traditional leadership, saying his life reflects integrity, scholarship, justice and selfless service.
According to Shettima, Justice Sidi Bage established an outstanding reputation in the legal profession long before ascending the throne, particularly through his service at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
“Long before the people of Lafia welcomed him to the throne of their ancestors, this remarkable son of the soil had already inscribed his name into the records of our national life,” the Vice President said.
“From the lecture halls of Ahmadu Bello University to the corridors of the Nigerian legal profession, he built a reputation upon the bedrock of integrity, scholarship, and an uncompromising fidelity to justice.”
Shettima noted that the Emir brought the discipline, fairness and wisdom he displayed as a jurist into his traditional role, contributing significantly to peace and development in the emirate.
“When he ascended the throne of his forefathers, he did not abandon the discipline of the bench. He brought it with him, and the people of Lafia have been the better for it,” he stated.
The Vice President also commended the Emir’s leadership as Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, noting that he has helped strengthen harmony in a state known for its ethnic, religious and cultural diversity.
He said the monarch has consistently promoted peaceful coexistence, preserved cultural heritage, supported religious institutions and demonstrated the enduring relevance of traditional institutions in nation-building.
“He has shown that traditional authority, when exercised with wisdom, remains among the most powerful instruments of national cohesion that we possess,” Shettima said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s future, the Vice President stressed that the country would achieve its full potential if leaders at all levels embraced peace, service and inclusiveness.
“I have come to believe, after years of reflection upon the condition of our country, that Nigeria will rise to the fullness of her promise on the day when every region, every state, and every community is blessed with leadership of this calibre,” he said.
“Where there are leaders who heal rather than divide, who build rather than burn, and who serve rather than seize, the greatness of this nation ceases to be an aspiration and becomes a destiny we author with our own hands.”
Shettima further praised Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule for fostering stability, tolerance and development across the state.
He added that President Bola Tinubu’s administration, through the Renewed Hope Agenda, recognises the importance of collaboration between traditional rulers and elected leaders in driving national renewal.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under whose Renewed Hope Agenda this administration labours, recognises that the partnership between traditional institutions and elected authority is among the surest foundations upon which national renewal can be built,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Sule described the Emir of Lafia as a humble and contented leader, while wishing him many more fruitful years on the throne.
Also speaking, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum commended the organisers of the celebration and prayed for the Emir’s continued good health, prosperity and wisdom.
Earlier, the Emir of Lafia explained that a hall named after Vice President Shettima was established in recognition of the longstanding historical relationship between the Lafia and Borno Emirates.
He recalled a childhood encounter with the late Sir Ibrahim Kashim of Borno, describing it as a memorable experience that strengthened his appreciation of the ties between the two traditional institutions.
As part of his visit, the Vice President commissioned the Maimatasa-Gemeri-Federal University Road in Lafia, a five-kilometre road project constructed to improve security and boost economic activities around the Federal University, Lafia.
Shettima also commissioned another five-kilometre road named Kashim Shettima Road, which leads to the Emir’s Palace and is expected to enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth in the area.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Nasarawa State Deputy Governor Emmanuel Akabe, Bauchi State Deputy Governor Mohammed Auwal Jatau, APC governorship candidate Senator Ahmed Wadada, traditional rulers and senior government officials.
