Gidado Idris
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Alhaji Gidado Idris, (15 March 1935 – 15 December 2017) was a Nigerian civil servant who served as the Secretary to the Government and Head of Service of the federation in Nigeria between the year 1995-1999, during the military regime of General
Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...
.


Background

Gidado Idris was born into a family of the Sokoto
aristocracy Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At t ...
. His name was originally ''Usman''. Gidado, the name by which he was later known, is a Fulani word which means "the beloved". It is usually a nickname. He derived it from his great grandfather Waziri
Gidado dan Laima Gidado dan Laima (1817–1842) also known as Waziri Gidado was the first known Grand Vizier of the Sokoto Caliphate, he was vizier of Sokoto during the sultanship of Muhammed Bello. He was the founder of the popular line of viziers known as the Gid ...
, the Sokoto Grand Vizier whose dynasty is known as the Gidadawa. Gidado dan Laima was married to Magajiya Halimatu (a daughter of Mallam Musa, the Emir of Zazzau). Another wife was Magajiya
Nana Asma'u Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname * Nana (c ...
(a daughter of Sheikh Usman dan Fodio, the first Sultan of Sokoto). Gidado was born and raised in Zaria, where his ancestors had immigrated at the death of their father Gidado dan Laima to rejoin their maternal family of Mallam Musa, who was serving at the time as the ruler of
Zazzau The Zazzau, also known as the Zaria Emirate, is a Nigerian traditional state, traditional state with headquarters in the city of Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The current emir of Zazzau is Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli who succeeded the former emir, l ...
. Their dynasty is known as the Mallawa in Zaria, Kaduna State. Since then, the children of Magajiya Halimatu have continued to stay and hold traditional titles in Zaria. Gidado's father was Mallam Idris, the Maáji of Kaciya. Furthermore, his distant cousins - the descendants of Nana Asma'u - have remained the holders of the Sokoto Grand Vizier's title until date. The most notable among them in recent history is Waziri
Muhammadu Junaidu Muhammadu Junaidu (1906 – 9 January 1997) was a Nigerian historian, writer and one of the foremost scholars on Fulani history and the Sokoto Caliphate. He held the title of the Waziri of Sokoto. Life He was born into an aristocratic family, the ...
. Gidado had his early education in Zaria. He went to Zaria elementary School from 1942–46, and Zaria Middle School from 1952-1957. He later proceeded to the Institute of Administration, Zaria and
University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...
in the United Kingdom. He joined the civil service before Nigeria's independence and was in that service until 1999.Makers of Northern Nigeria by A. T. Abdulkadir, A. A. Maradun, Mustafa Babajo


Career

He served as Private Secretary to Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto and subsequently served as District Officer (DO) at various times in Benue, Sardauna and Adamawa Provinces of the then Northern Region. He was actually with Sardauna hours before mutinous soldiers assassinated the Premier during the first military coup of January 15, 1966. This career civil servant subsequently served as Permanent Secretary in the defunct North Central State, now Kaduna and Katsina states from 1971-75. He was appointed Secretary to the Constitution Drafting Committee DCunder Chief Rotimi Williams in 1975 and in 1976 he served as Secretary to the Constituent Assembly that produced the 1979 Constitution which ushered in the Second Republic. During the four years of the Second Republic 979-83 Alhaji Gidado Idris also served as Clerk to the National Assembly. When the military overthrew the Second Republic in December 1983, Gidado resumed his service at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos; was Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministries of Police Affairs; Aviation and Finance at various times before he was appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) by General Sani Abacha in December 1995.he continued to serve as SGF under General Abdulsalami Abubakar till he retired from public service in 1999. As the SGF he was the engine room of the federal government policies and head of the federal public service that implemented the policies and midwifed the successful transition to civil rule in 1999. Alhaji Gidado Idris also contributed to produce the 254-page 1979 constitution without reconvening the Constituent Assembly for which General Obasanjo awarded him the national honour of CON. After the death of General Sani Abacha on June 8, 1998, it was Alhaji Gidado Idris as the Secretary of the Armed Forces Ruling Council in his position as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation who conducted the stormy meeting of the council where General Abdulsalami Abubakar emerged as the new Head of State in the early hours of June 9, 1998 in Abuja. Alhaji Gidado Idris was one of the last Nigerian civil servants of the old school who underwent their tutelage under the British, under the great pioneer civil servants and the great political leaders of the First Republic. He was also one of the longest serving public servants in Nigeria who served in very responsible positions for five full decades.


Personal life

Gidado Idris married three wives: Rabiat, Hajiya Abu And Maryam. His first wife Rabiat died in 1977, while Hajiya Abu is divorced and Maryam is alive. He had 12 children. His most notable daughter is Aishatu Gidado Idris, who is a writer. He forged many friendships and relationships throughout his life. He was an in-law to President
Shehu Shagari Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari (25 February 1925 – 28 December 2018), titled Turakin Sokoto from 1962, was the first democratically elected President of Nigeria, after the transfer of power by military head of state General Olusegun Obasanjo in ...
, a trusted friend to Major General Muhammadu Buhari, General Ibrahim Babangida, General
Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...
, General Abdusalam Abubakar and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He was also close to
Shehu Musa Yar'adua Shehu Musa Yar'Adua (5 March 1943 – 8 December 1997) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who was the ''de facto'' vice president of Nigeria as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters when Nigeria was under military rule from 1976 to ...
and General TY Danjuma of whom he played golf together with since the 70s. Before his death, he was seen in the company of Alhajis Yahaya Salami, Ibrahim Hamza,
Yayale Ahmed Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, (born 15 April 1952) is a Nigerian civil servant and politician who served as Defence Minister of Nigeria. Early life and education Ahmed was born in the town of Shira in southern Azare, Bauchi State, to Ahmadu, an Islami ...
,
Baba Gana Kingibe Babagana Kingibe OV GCON (born 25 June 1945) is a Nigerian diplomat, politician and civil servant who has held several high ranking government offices, culminating in his appointment as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation from 2007 ...
, and Senator Dangana Indayanko at the IBB golf club, where they played daily.


Award

*Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) *Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON)


Death

Gidado Idris died after a brief illness in an Abuja hospital on a Friday night, 15 December 2017.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Idris, Gidado 1935 births 2017 deaths Nigerian Muslims Nigerian civil servants People from Kaduna State