A former Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) Dr. Adamu Mohammed Fika, is dead. He was 84. Fika, who held the traditional title of Zarma Kura of Fika, died at a hospital in Abuja, according to a statement by the Special Adviser on Media to the Emir of Fika, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar (Chokalin Fika). The statement said funeral prayers for the deceased would be held on Friday, August 7, at the National Mosque, Abuja. The late Fika was the pioneer Director-General and Clerk Designate to the National Assembly, where he played a key role in laying the administrative foundation of Nigeria’s legislature at the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999. He later served as Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), where he contributed to strengthening the administration and management of the National Assembly. Until his death, he was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Council of Retired Clerks and Secretaries of the National Assembly. Born in Fika, present-day Yobe State, in 1942, Dr Fika attended Primary School in Fika before proceeding to Provincial Senior Primary School. He later studied at Barewa College, Zaria, and Government College, Keffi, where he obtained his Higher School Certificate. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from Makerere University Uganda in 1966 before pursuing postgraduate studies in History at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where he obtained his doctorate. He began his career as a lecturer in History at the Abdullahi Bayero College, then a campus of the Ahmadu Bello University, before joining the Civil Service in the former North-Eastern State in 1974. During his public service career, he served in several strategic positions, including Permanent Secretary in different ministries in the former Borno State, where he was involved in public administration and policy implementation. Dr Fika also served at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State, where he contributed to leadership development and public policy research. Widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost legislative administrators, he was respected for his contributions to institution-building, public sector reforms and legislative administration. Beyond public service, he was a prominent traditional title holder in the Fika Emirate, serving as the Zarma Kura of Fika, and remained an influential voice on governance and national development. His death has been described by associates as a huge loss to the Fika Emirate, Yobe State and the country. Mourning his death, the Emir of Fika and Chairman of the Yobe State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Dr Muhammad Ibn Abali Muhammadu Idrisa, described Fika’s passing as a great loss to Yobe State and Nigeria. In a statement signed by his media aide, Mohammed Abubakar (Chokalin Fika), the emir described the late Fika as a complete gentleman, humble and approachable, who related freely with people from all walks of life. He said the deceased’s passing had created a huge vacuum in the Fika Emirate and Yobe State, noting that his contributions to public service and national development would be greatly missed. The emir prayed for Allah to forgive the late elder statesman, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and reward him abundantly for his good deeds.
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