Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged public office holders to prioritise documenting their experiences in service, stressing that such records are vital for guiding future generations.
Shettima delivered the charge on Saturday in Abuja during the unveiling of a biography chronicling the life and career of former Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Baba. He was represented at the event by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Abubakar Kyari.
The Vice President lamented that many officials pass through public service without leaving behind written reflections that could serve as reference materials.
“For decades, this failure to document our lives in office has sabotaged successive generations, forcing each to begin afresh, to search for their bearings through the dark of an unfamiliar terrain.
“There is no doubt that we are a nation that has paid dearly for the inadequacy of mentorship.
“We cannot claim to be a society ready for the future if we do not prepare the younger generation for the tasks ahead,” he said.
He emphasised that meaningful preparation for the next generation requires capturing experiences and creating opportunities for them to learn from those who have gone ahead. According to him, leadership lessons are not inherited but intentionally crafted and shared.
Shettima added that every public servant carries a responsibility to provide a truthful account of their stewardship, noting that transparency strengthens history and enriches posterity.
“This obligation to narrate our journey is part of the accountability that has been missing for far too long in the public space.
“When leaders keep quiet, history becomes distorted. When leaders speak, posterity gains charity. Public service is not a secret cult and our experiences should never be treated as such,” he said.
Former IGP Baba explained that documenting his journey was motivated by a desire to inspire others and encourage them to pursue their purpose with clarity and courage.
“I appreciated that my privileged experience at the apex force leadership could spark strategic actors within the internal security space,” he said.
