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NIGERIA'S FIRST MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND CENTRAL MINISTER OF MINES AND POWER, LAND AND LAGOS AFFAIRS This great son of theNorth and Adamawa was bornin Ribadu townin the Adamawa Emirate in 1910 toa family of strict Muslims whose creed in life was moral discipline and training. As a child he received his Qur'anic Education and study of some basic religious texts undera numberof scholarsin Yola. In 1920, Mahmudu Ribadu was enrolledin the Yola Provincial School, thus becomingpartof the second generation of the Western Educated eliteinAdamawa. Showing considerable promise, Mahmuda, along with nineof his classmates was selected in 1925 to undertake an excursion in Southern Nigeria Femandopo and Douala (Cameroon) after which he won an essay competition with outstanding distinction. Hegraduated in 1926 but was retained to teach in the school asa testimony to his academic excellence intelligence and hard work. Mahmudu taught in the Yola Provincial School which in1930 became the Yola Middle School which also had classes for studentsfrom the West African Frontier Force Waff Battalion in Yola. Mahmudu's strong build and self confidence were some of the qualities considered in selecting him to teach soldiersin the school.He wasa Teacher between 1927and1932andbetween 1932and1936anAccountant with theAdamawa Treasury.His knowledgeof Arabic, Hausa and particularly English helped the British plans of transforming the Accounting Systemof the Native Administration. By the end of 1933it was reported that there was an un-anticipated improvementin the recordsof the native treasury. Mahmudu also served as an instructorinthe Treasury department up to 1951. Earlier, precisely, on 1st December 1936 Mahmudu Ribadu was installed as Ardo Balala at Yola in the presence of Governor Bernard Bourdillon who happened to be in Adamawa on tourat the time. Apartfrom contributing to the construction ofa School in the area and encouraging people to enroll their children into the school, the District Head was also involved in the administrationof the NA treasuryat Yola. He actedasthe Treasurer whenever the incumbent was away. Amanof independent opinion and initiative Mahmudu Ribadu was in 1946 alongwith other candidatesfrom the North sent on a local government course to the UK On his return in December 1946, he was appointed the new Ma'afiof AdamawaNative Authority and on his recommendation his senior brotherArdo Buba succeeded himasthe DistrictHeadqf Balala. That sameyear 1946, saw Mahmudu Ribadu taking active part in regional and national affairs. Thefrrst was his nomination as thefrrst ever representative of the Adamawa Province in theNorthern Houseof Assembly which was opened in 1947 serving on most of the crucial committees of the house. By 1948 and 1949 Mahmudu Ribadu concentrated on the retirement benefits of demobilised soldiers, so much so that within the period and because of the seriousness with which he took his legislative duties he had already made his mark on the political and administrative scene inNorthern Nigeria. He was variouslya memberof committees thatpreparedthe wayforNigeria's independence. In 1948, be wasa member ofthe' 'HighFootCommittee"on theNigeriani^ation oftheseniorpostsin thepublicservice. In 1949, hewas a memberof Nigerian Boardof Agriculture and between 1949 and 1951 he served on the Groundnut Marketing Board and'theNorthern RegionalDevelopmentLoan'sBoard As a defenderof Northern Interests and Advocate of Regional autonomy Mahmudu was a memberof the Northern delegation to the Ibadan Constitutional Review Conference of 1950. Early in 1952, Mahmudu Ribadu and three other members were elected by theNorthern House to represent theNorth at the Central Legislature in Lagos. Little wonder when thefirstNigerian Government wasformedat the centrein1952inpreparationfor self government Mahmudu Ribadu was among thefirstFederalMinisters. Hewas apponinted Federal'MinisterofNaturalResources. It was in the sameyear that he was nominated the Directorof the newlyformed Nigerian Produce Marketing Company (NPMC). It was also in the sameyear that the Colonial Administration made him "Memberof the British Empire' MBE. Between 1952 and 1954, Mahmudu Ribadu was Ministerof NaturalResources. Atthefos conventionof the NPC in 1954, he was elected second Vice President a position he heldtill his death in 1965. Afterthe 1954 general election inthe country, Ribadu was appointedFederalMinisterof Land, Mines and Power. He held this portfolio till1957 whenfoUowingtheformationofa NationalGovernmentthatyear (1957) Lagos Affairs was added to his ministry andit became theMinistryof Lagos Affair,LandMines and Power. He was there till 1959 when he was appointed Federal Ministerof Lagos Affairs and Land the ministry was responsible for the completion of the redamationof the present day Victoria Island andIkoyi. He was theretill 1960. At independence in 1960,Aihafi Mahmudu Ribadu Yola becameNigeria'sFirstMinisterof Defence charged with the responsibility of re-shapingaformer unitof the British ColonialArmy intoa NigerianNationalArmy. Itis to bis creditthatwithinfive years of independence the si%eof the army increased to 10,500, barracks were developed, building of the infantNavy was accelerated and the Nigerian Airforce was startedin 1961. It was alsotobiscreditthat the Nigerian Army recruitedgraduates and intelligent secondary and higher school certificate graduates to actualize the Nigeriani^ation of the officer corps and the introductionof the quota systeminthe army. "As long asI remain Ministerof Defence, our soldiers will eat the best food, wear the best dress and drive the best cars because men trouble comes; they will be the first to die".
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