Gidado Idris, Former SGF, Dies at 82 after Protracted Illness Bennett Oghifo Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mallam Gidado Idris, GCON, is dead. He was 82. Family sources told THISDAY last nigth that the highly distinguished retired civil servant died yesterday at an
Abuja hospital after a protracted illness. Mallam Idris, who served Nigeria for forty-two years in different capacities, rose to the highest position in the civil service before retiring in 1999. He was born into the royal Idris family in the ancient city of Zaria on March 15, 1935. The late Idris was a trusted
aide of the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, the first premier of Northern Nigeria. Unfortunately, he had the misfortune of identifying the corpse of the late premier and that of his wife, Hajia Yanguwan who was also killed with him during the 1966 coup. With others, late Idris arranged a befitting burial for
the late premier according to Muslim rites. He was educated at the Institute of Administration, Zaria and the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. He was District officer for Benue, Sardauna and Adamawa provinces, which in the present day Nigeria will be equivalent to governor.
He later became Private and Personal Secretary to the late Ahmadu Bello. He served as Permanent Secretary in Kaduna state from 1971 to 1975. Late Idris was appointed Secretary of the Constitution Drafting Committee in 1975 and in 1976, he was also appointed Secretary of the Constituent Assembly. He was appointed first Clerk
of the National Assembly in 1979. Between 1984 and 1986, he was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs. Between 1986 and 1988, he became the Chairman of Productivity, Prices and Income board. Shortly after, he became Continued on page 6
NNPC Orders Security Agencies to Go After Marketers Hoarding Products ... Page 6 Saturday 16 December, 2017 Vol 22. No 8276 Price: N250
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PDP to APC: Apologise to Nigerians on the War against Boko Haram Approval of $1 bn for war curious, alarming Fayose: NGF's support not unanimous Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti and Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja Following the approval of
$1 billion for the war against Boko Haram, to be taken from the Excess Crude Account (ECA), the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday demanded that an apology be tendered to Nigerians by the All Progressives
Congress-led federal government “for deceiving Nigerians on the state of war against Boko Haram.”
In a related development, Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has denied being part of the 36 state governors that
allegedly gave the federal government the go ahead to Continued on page 6
Buhari: Many Stranded Blacks in Libya Claiming to Be Nigerians Others claim to be Nigerians when they are not because they have destroyed their travel papers. We can't claim them, except there is proper documentation Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday raised the alarm about hundreds of stranded black Africans in Libya, whom he said were claiming to be Nigerians, thus, making the evacuation of genuine Nigerians tasking. According to a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President stated this during a meeting with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, at the State House, Abuja. Buhari added that it was important to authenticate the origin of the people in distress before being evacuated. The Nigerian President told Mahamat: "We are trying to bring as many as possible from Libya, but not every Black man is a Nigerian. Others claim to be Nigerian, when they are not, and because they have destroyed their travel papers, we can't claim them, except there is proper documentation." Thousands of Nigerians are being evacuated from the Continued on page 6
ECOWAS ON THEIR MINDS … R-L: Member, Committee for Peace and Security, ECOWAS, Hajiya Halima Ahmed; President of the Ecowas Commission, Marcel A. De Souza; President Muhammadu Buhari; and Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Hajiya Khadeja Abba Ibrahim, during an audience with the President at the State House in Abuja ...yesterday STATE HOUSE
Bode George: No Issue against Emergence of Secondus ... Page 6