JUST IN: Former SGF Adamu Fika Passes Away at Age 90
Dr. Adamu Fika CFR, a distinguished figure in Nigerian civil service and a well-known educator, has passed away. The sad news was officially announced last night by Ali Gimba Fika, Secretary of the Fika Emirate Council in Potiskum, Yobe State.
Funeral services to honor his memory will be held tomorrow on Wednesday, October 25th, 2023, at 4:00 PM at Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna.
Mallam Adamu Fika, known as the Waziri of Fika, was born in 1933 in Fika, Yobe State, and was a native of the region. He held a prominent position in Nigerian civil service and is renowned for his commitment to upholding integrity and meritocracy in the public sector. Notably, he was the first and only Head of Service in Nigeria’s history to resign from his position, driven by his conviction that the civil service was being compromised during his tenure.
Dr. Fika’s educational journey began at Fika Elementary School from 1941 to 1945, followed by Borno Middle School in Maiduguri for his primary education in 1947. He continued his studies at Kaduna Government College (now Barewa College, Zaria) from 1948 to 1951. He later attended the Nigerian College of Arts, Science, and Technology in Zaria from 1952 to 1953. He furthered his studies abroad, including at the Institute of Statisticians in London, UK, in 1958, and the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, from August to December 1969. He also studied at the Royal Institute of Public Administration at the University of Manchester, UK, in 1978.
Dr. Fika’s career began as a Mathematics and Physics Teacher at Barewa College in Zaria in 1956. He then accepted a new teaching role at the Government Secondary School in Katsina-Ala, Benue State, in 1958. Over the years, he held various key positions, including Provincial Inspector of Education, Provincial Education Officer in Zaria in 1960, and Inspector of Education in Adamawa Province, Yola, in 1962. He served as the Principal of the Federal Training Centre (FTC) in Kaduna in 1962.
His distinguished career continued with roles such as Deputy Secretary of the Interim Common Services Agency from 1968 to 1970, Secretary of the Interim Common Services Agency in 1970, and Commissioner of Finance for North-Eastern State in 1972. He also held the position of Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs in Lagos in 1975, the Federal Ministry of Commerce in 1979, and the Public Service Department at the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation from 1981 to 1982.
Dr. Fika’s service extended to being the Permanent Secretary in the Police Affairs Department at the Executive Office of the President and the Ministry of Communications from 1982 to 1984. He served as the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Capital Territory and as the Chief Executive of the Federal Capital Development Authority in Abuja in 1984. His outstanding career culminated when he became the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in 1986, and he retired from the Federal Public Service in 1988.
Throughout his life, he continued to contribute to Nigerian society in various capacities, including as the Chairman of the National Commission for Colleges of Education from March 1989 to 1990. He was also appointed as the Administrative Secretary by the Federal Government for the Social Democratic Party in 1990. Dr. Fika served as the Chairman of the United Bank for Africa as a Government Appointee from January 1990 to March 1993. He held the prestigious position of Clerk and Director General of the National Assembly from 1992 to 1993.
Furthermore, he was the First Chairman of the Salaries and Wages Commission from September 1992 to March 1993 and the First Chairman of the Federal Character Commission from December 1995 to March 2001. Dr. Fika remained active in the educational sector as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of ABU Zaria until 2018. Currently, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).
Dr. Adamu Fika was known for his unwavering commitment to ethics, attention to detail, and dedication to justice and fairness. He was a staunch advocate for a corruption-proof civil service that upheld merit and integrity. He believed that a straight and principled civil service was key to preserving and strengthening national institutions. His dedication to these principles made him a true exemplar of public service.
In recognition of his exceptional contributions, Dr. Fika was awarded the national honor of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) in 1992. His legacy will endure as a symbol of an upright and dedicated public servant who tirelessly worked to uphold the highest standards of the civil service and public life in Nigeria.
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