By Precious Onwe
Elder statesman and former Head of Service of the Federation (HSoF), Dr. Adamu Fika is dead.
His death was announced on Tuesday night by the Secretary, Fika Emirate Council, Potiskum, Yobe State, Ali Gimba Fika in a statement.
Dr Fika was 90.
He was buried yesterday at 4:00pm at Sultan Bello Mosque Kaduna.
The late Mallam Fika, the Waziri of Fika was a renowned and seasoned educationist and administrator.
Fika, who was born in 1933, is the first and only Head of Service to have resigned because he was not comfortable being at the helm of affairs when by his training, he perceived the civil service was being destroyed.
He attended Fika Elementary School, 1941-45 ; Borno Middle School, Maiduguri, 1947 for his primary education, Kaduna Government College (now Barewa College, Zaria), 1948 – 1951 and Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, 1952-53;
The late Fika also attended Institute of Statisticians, London, UK, 1958; Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, England, August-December, 1969; Royal Institute of Public Administration, University of Manchester, UK, 1978.
The former Head of Service was appointed Mathematics and Physics Teacher, by his alma mater Barewa College, Zaria in 1956.
He later served as the Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria.
Fika was also the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).
He held several significant positions, including Permanent Secretary of various federal ministries, such as Internal Affairs, Commerce, and Communications.
He also served as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF) and made invaluable contributions to the nation’s development.
Fika received numerous honours and awards for his exceptional service, including the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) by the Federal Government in 1992.
He was revered for his dedication, integrity, and leadership skills, making him a highly respected national figure, especially in the North.