By Our Reporter
The death of Mallam Adamu Ciroma on July 5, 2018 in Abuja ended an era of one of Nigeria’s top bureaucratic and political players. Born in Pokistum, present Yobe State, Ciroma was the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from September 1975 to June 1977. He was a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) where he was a founding member.
In 1979, Ciroma was one of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) presidential aspirants who contested in the party’s presidential primary, in which he was supposedly sponsored by the faceless Kaduna Mafia, a rumored group of northern intellectuals, serving officers and bureaucrats stationed around Kaduna. He came third in the primary, behind Shehu Shagari and Maitama Sule, his candidacy having been partly financed by Hamza Rafindadi Zayyad, the head of the New Nigeria Development Company.
Ciroma was briefly the secretary of the NPN and he later served at various times as Minister for Industries, Agriculture and Finance. As a senior cabinet minister in the Shagari administration, he played pivotal roles in the implementation of the president’s agenda especially in the areas of food production and working with international agencies to develop an Agricultural Development Project (ADP).
He attended Fika Elementary School from 1943 to 1944, Potiskum Elementary School from 1944 to 1947, Bornu Middle School from 1948 to 1949, Barewa College, Zaria from 1950 to 1955 and the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology University College, Zaria 1956 to 1957.
He was also at the Ibadan University from 1958 to 1961 where he obtained a BA (Hons) London-Modern History and Besancon Cite Universitaire, France where he studied a French Language Course from 1962 to 1963. Mallam Ciroma is among Nigeria’s men of destiny who have consistently played an active and varied role in the sustenance of the political life of the nation at all times.
In the first Republic, he worked in the northern Premier’s office between 1961 and 1963 before moving to the Mambilla Plateau as the Divisional Officer from 1963 to 1964. He was also Provincial Electoral Officer and Divisional Officer, Sardauna Province from 1964 to 1965 and Senior Assistant Secretary, Federal Ministry of Mines and Power, Lagos.
Ciroma’s eminence was amplified by his appointment as the first indigenous Editor for the Northern Newspaper, The New Nigerian Newspaper and his subsequent appointment as the paper’s Managing Director all between 1966 and 1974.
He was also the Chairman of the Panel that decided the future of Northern States Interim Common Services Agency (ICSA) and Eastern States Interim Assets and Liabilities Agency (ESIALA) in 1968. This eminence was further edified by his appointment as a Director and later Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
In September 1983, he was made the chairman of a presidential transition committee, which further demonstrated the trust the president had in his capabilities. The committee was mandated to make proposals on how to re-structure the federal government which was going through a crisis of confidence. (Additional report from Wikipedia)
Ciroma on restructuring
There is nothing new about the clamour for restructuring. It is normal for Nigerians to want to live together in peace. This is my objective, to assist Nigerians to live in peace and to know how to adjust to one another. All these things are part of the normal process of resettling issues and ensuring that things are conducted properly and ensuring that people understand each other. So, it is normal.
Adamu Ciroma on Buhari
To be honest you cannot help but promote Buhari. I mean he cried a few years ago for Nigeria, now reverend Fathers are crying…
Sincerely speaking, for a retired Soldier in the Nigerian Army, who has just one Wife, even though his religion allows him to marry more. For an ex-President who declares his assets publicly with no foreign account. For an attractive man who can boosts of having no girlfriend or mistress, in a world where having extra marital affairs is the order of the day. And during all these time the devil has not possessed any of his worshipers to blackmail him. There must be something interesting about this person, and Nigerians want to learn such discipline from this Personality. This is not a campaign; this is an intriguing mystery we want to be part of.
Tributes
Ciroma would be honoured for his contributions in promoting democracy in Nigeria and his legacies should be a constant reminder to politicians who wish to work for the good of their communities and the country in general- President Buhari
Although death is painful, but it gladdens my heart that the late Ciroma lived a worthy and successful life-Senate President Saraki
He was an intellectual genius and highly cosmopolitan public servant who exhibited high sense of patriotism, passion and enthusiasm for the progress and development of the country while serving as first indigenous editor and managing director of New Nigerian, CBN governor and minister of various portfolios in different administrations in Nigeria-Speaker Dogara
The death of Ciroma had robbed Nigeria of one of its finest statesmen who gave their best to their country-Former Vice President Atiku
Mallam Ciroma lived as a committed citizen; an astute administrator and highly disciplined politician, who discharged all responsibilities vested in him with unequaled forthrightness and loyalty to the nation-Peoples Democratic Party
I know Ciroma very well. Our path crossed when we were undergraduates at University of Ibadan. He graduated ahead of me, but we shared the same testimony. We became close when we were appointed members of President Shehu Shagari’s cabinet during the Second Republic- 2nd Republic minister & President-General Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief John Nnia Nwodo (Jnr)
