By Abdul Jelil Adebayo
Same day, two awards of recognition for the easy going and unassuming but frank administrator.
He is Comrade Dr. Aliyu Muhammad Maradun, the FCT chairman of
Amalgamated Union of Public Health Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employee (AUPCTRE).
Tuesday October 28th, 2025 was the day that both a community newspaper, the Aso Mirror based in Abuja celebrated its one year on the newsstands while at the same day he was conferred with International Institute for Productivity and Proficiency IIPP life time professional
Fellowship award.
According to IIPP, Maradun was honoured in cognisant of his academic and professional attainment and remarkably his distinctive professional contributions to public service administration and management
Accordingly, the offer qualifies him as a senior member of the institute and entitled him to append the suffix designatory letters FIPP( Fellow international Institute for Productivity and Proficiency
As for Aso Mirror, Maradun was awarded the Leadership Excellence Award.
The Aso Mirror event took place at the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture Area 10, while the IIPP event was held at Merit House in Maitama, Abuja.
Reviewing the Aso MIRROR Newspaper, Prince Sufuyan Ojeifo, Publisher, The Conclave, and General Secretary, Guild of Corporate Online Publisher said the publication in a very short time, has positioned itself as a vital chronicler of life in the Federal Capital Territory.
According to him, a community newspaper is not merely a source of news; it is the lifeblood of a community, its conscience, its cheerleader, and its critic.
According to him, community newspaper tells the stories that the big national dailies often overlook: the pothole on your street, the achievement of your local chief, the struggle of the petty trader, and the promise of your area council chairman.
“My review will celebrate its significant strengths; place it within the proud tradition of community journalism, and offer constructive and achievable suggestions for its continued growth.
MARADUN, who also double as the amiable Head of commerce at FCT Water Board was born in Maradun in Zamfara state.
He is also the Chief Imam of Ibadar Rahman Masjid, Bwari, FCT.
He is a worthy lieutenant. He did not rise to the position of Head of Commerce overnight neither was it a bed of roses all along. He has the scars of battles he has weathered through and today he has reason to thank God for his blessings.
According to him, he has no regrets as he has maintained his stand for the truth always.
He actually joined the Federal Capital Territory Water Board, Abuja in 1992 and ever since has been working in different capacities across the length and breadth of the Board rising through the ranks from Assistant Trade Officer, Area Commercial Officer in different Area Offices to Deputy Director Commerce.
He also headed the Revenue Generating Units at the Area offices level and Headquarters, Managing Areas and Districts of Garki, Jabi, Wuse among others and Headquaters Units of Ministries and Parastatals, Plazas and Filling Stations, Major Consumer as well as Measurement and Evaluation Units.
However, the Zamfara born administrator also attended various revenue generation enhancement programmes within and outside Nigeria, including partnering the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in formulation and rolling, implementation of Water Advisory Programme, Non -Revenue Water strategic management and Control for efficiency spanning eight (8) years, (2002-2020) with an opportunity for rigorous training in Yokohama City, Japan in 2018.
He has to his credit a proficiency in computer operations with particular forte in applications and programmes related to daily revenue generation, recording and processing; Word Processor, Internet Browser, Teleconferencing software, Digital spreadsheets and Project Management tools.
Besides his work in the office, he is also a unionist and that has been his albatross. Because of his desire to see that loopholes in the revenue generation are blocked, he became a meddlesome interloper to those that were feeding fat from the system.
In the trade union activities.
He started off as the Chairman of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) FCT Water Board Branch from 2011-2014 and later became the Vice Chairman AUPCTRE FCT Council as from 2014-2017 and became the Chairman AUPCTRE FCT Council as from 2017 to Date.
He is also the Vice Chairman AUPCTRE Federal Zone from 2018 to Date
Maradun is a graduate of Economics from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, he has several awards in his name including Best graduating Student Business Education in 1991; Certificate of Award for Outstanding Strides towards Africa’s Quest for Development, via antecedents of Union Leadership, Civil Service Meritorious Service to God, Humanity and Africa in 2020; Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Performance in Revenue Generation in 2006.
He has also attended so many courses and workshops including Yokohama City Water Co. Ltd, and JICA Yokohama International Centre, Japan; Michael Imodu Institute for Labour Studies; AUPCTRE FCT COUNCIL WORKSHOP, Kaduna and Kano; Information and Communication Technology Unit GSTC, Garki: Nigerian Labour Congress Organised Workshop, Labour House and many others.
Indeed there is no hiding place for a golden fish. Maradun is a workaholic administrator. He is loved by his colleagues and union members. Indeed, he deserves the recent double honours.
*Abdul wrote in from Abuja via abduljelil2001@gmail.com