By Eric Teniola

This is a continuation from last of the list of members of the Constitution Drafting Committee, including its seven sub-committees, set up in 1975 by the late General Ramat Murtala Muhammed

A TRADITIONAL title holder, the late High Chief Ekanem-Ita was the Ada-idaha-ke-Eburutu; Etonwed Efik Eburutu; Mkpisong Ukara Ekondo Efik; Ikpamfum Calabar and Ntufam of Qua Nation, Calabar. High Chief Ekanem-Ita who was nick-named ‘Registrar Emeritus’, held the record of being the longest serving Registrar in any Nigerian University, a position he held for 12 years! 

Dr. Tajudeen Olawale Ayinla Idris (1940-2018) later served as Commissioner of Education in Lagos State. He was born in Epe in Lagos State. He had his education at the Native Authority School, Epe, 1947-1948; Catholic School, Lekki, 1949-1952; Ansar-Ud-Deen School, Epe, 1953-1954; Ahmadiyya College, Agege, 1955-1959; Northwestern Polytechnic, London, 1961-1962; London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, 1962-1966; Nigerian Law School, Lagos, 1966-1967; called to the Bar, Lagos, enrolled Solicitor, Supreme Court of Nigeria, 1967; Clerk, office of the Prime Minister, Lagos, 1960; Clerk, Standard Bank of West Africa, 1960-1961; research fellow, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos, 1968-1972; legal officer, Nigerian Oil Corporation, 1972-1976; in private practice, Lagos, 1976-1979; Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, 1979-1983; arrested in January 1984; sentenced to life imprisonment, 1985; sentence reduced to 15 years, 1986; member, Nigeria Bar Association; member, British Bar Association; member, Nigeria Constitution Drafting Committee, 1975-1976; former member, Electoral Law Committee; member, Nigerian Society of International Law; fellow, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos, 1968.

Monsignor (Colonel) Pedro Ayodele Martins (1910-2014) was the first Lagosian to be ordained a Catholic priest; first Catholic chaplain for the Nigerian Army, and first director of the Nigerian Army Chaplain Services (Catholic). 

After military service, he served as vicar-general to the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Olubunmi (as he then was) Okogie. Monsignor Martins carried out the task with his accustomed fairness. Born in Lagos in 1910, he was the grandson of a Brazilian slaver. His paternal grandmother was an ethnic Hausa. He grew up in a household that observed Christian and Moslem traditions. 

This background would seem to explain his approach to his work as a priest, soldier, and public servant, indeed his entire life. He was religious without being dogmatic or doctrinaire.

Alhaji Mamman Ali Makele was born on  August 20, 1940, in Agbaja, Kwara State; Education: Secondary School, Okene, 1954-59; King’s College, Lagos, 1960-61; University of Ibadan, 1962-65; Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, USA, 1969-70; University of Wisconsin, USA, 1970, University of Kent, Canterbury, 1985-86, University of London, 1986-87; Assistant Executive Officer, Ministry of Establishment, Lagos, January-September, 1962; Assistant Executive Officer, Cabinet Office, Lagos, June — September, 1963; Assistant Executive Officer, Parliament, Lagos, June — September 1964; Assistant Secretary, Federal Ministry of Economic Development, Lagos, July —October, 1965; Administrative Officer, University of Lagos, 1965-67; Assistant Registrar/Principal Assistant Registrar, Unilag, 1967-76; Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, 1971-75; Commissioner for Economic Development, Kwara State, 1975-77; member, Constitution Drafting Committee, 1976-77; Deputy Registrar, University of Lagos, 1976-80; Chairman, Leventis Group of Companies Scholarship Committee, 1976-80; Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, Kwara State, 1977-79; Director and Chair man, Chase Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited, 1977-80; Acting Cabinet Minister, Department of Steel Development, Office of the President of Nigeria, 1980-81; Cabinet Minister for Steel Development, 1981-83; Political Parties: member, defunct Northern Peoples Congress Students’ Wing, University of Ibadan, 1963-65; member, National Executive Committee, banned National Party of Nigeria, 1978-83; member, Kwara State Economic Planning Board, 1972-75.

Alhaji Mamman Daura was born on November 9, 1939 in Daura, in the present day Katsina State. He started his education at the Daura Elementary School, 1946-1949; Katsina Middle Secondary School, 1949-1954; Bournemouth College of Technology, England, 1958-1962; Trinity College, University of Dublin, Eire, 1962-1966, 1968; employee, Daura Native Authority, 1955-1958; programme assistant, Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, Kaduna, 1958; deputy secretary, Executive Council of Northern Nigeria, 1967-1968; Senior Assistant Secretary, Political Section, Military Governor’s Office, 1969; Editor, New Nigerian Newspapers, 1969; Managing Director, New Nigerian Newspapers, 1974-1976; member, Board of Directors, News Agency of Nigeria, 1978; later appointed Chairman, Nigeria Television Authority, 1986; member, NBC Committee of Inquiry, 1970-1971; member, Committee of Inquiry, Broadcasting Company of Northern Nigeria, 1974; member, State Drought Relief Committee, 1974; chairman, North Central State Campaign against Drug Addiction and Allied  Evils, 1974; member, Governing Council, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs; member, Manufacturer’s Association of Nigeria; director, Nigerian Building Society; director, Dunlop Nigeria Industries since 1974; director, Northern Nigeria Investments since January 1974; appointed chairman, Board of Directors, Bank of Credit and Commerce International (Nigeria) Ltd.