LIMAN, Mallam (Dr.) Ciroma

Northerner to occupy the position. He was particularly in charge of the Native Authority portfolio and drafting speeches for the Premier. In March 1962, tbe now budding Bureaucrat arted as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government. It was around this period that he was Provincial, Secretary Niger Province (1963). In 1964 he became acting Deputy Secretary to the Premier and in January 1965 he became acting Permanent Secretary in the new Ministry of Water Resources and Community Development. Just after the coup in 1966 he moved to the Military Governor's office as Permanent Secretary. His ckseness to the corridors ofpower afforded him the opportunity to introduce the first official memo to the Executives Council advocatingfor the creation of States in Nigeria as a means of holding the country together. He wrote this memo in 1966 and states were created in 1967. After the creation of states, he moved to the North Eastern state where he was Permanent Secretary in theMinistry of Education and Community Development between 1968 and 1971. He ako arted as the Secretary to the Government of the State within the period. Much to his delight he was seconded back to the Federal Service as a Permanent Secretary between 1971-1977 and served in the Ministriesof Education and Industries. By 1977 Mallam Liman Ciroma reached the apex of his civil service career when he was appointed the Secretary to the Federal Military Government and Head of Service. He served in that position till 1979 when an ekaed government was sworn in into office. In appreciation of a distinguished service to the nation he was awarded the national honor of the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), on 1st Oaober 1979. He was ako honoumedwith D.Lit. (Honoris causa) by the Ahmadu Belk University Zaria in January 1989 andJJD (Honoris Causa) by the Usman Dan Fodio University Sokoto in February 1992. About ayear later in April 1993, he was made the Ciroman Fika and member of the Fika Emirate Council. From abroad Mallam Ciroma was awarded Officer de'L' Order National deMerit by the President of the French Republic in July 1991. Since his retirement in 1979, he has continued to be of service to the Nigerian Nation in different capacities as Chairman, National Universities Commission, Chairman, Board of Trustees of the National Merit Award Committee and as a Member Arewa HouseBoardof Trustees.Hewas appointed Chairmanof the Federal Government's Committee to review the Country's Local Governments in 2003 after the death of' ^^y 1't Alh. UmaruNdayako,Etsu Nupe