CITATION OF AMBASSADOR ENGINEER BUNU SHERIFF MUSA (OFR)
By
Bosoma Sheriff
Ambassador (Engr.) Bunu Sheriff Musa, a statesman, a philanthropist and a patriot was born in Maiduguri on 15th January 1947. His childhood education started in a Quranic (Sangaya) school, where he acquired considerable knowledge in the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. After his primary education, he gained admission into Government Secondary School Maiduguri, where he obtained the West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1967. In 1970 he was in the Federal School of Science, Lagos where he obtained General Certificate of Education (G.C.E. A/Level). This qualified him for entry into the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria where he studied engineering. He bagged his Bachelor of Engineering with specialization in civil engineering in 1973.
Ambassador Sheriff was one of the pioneer members of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSC) which was introduced in 1973. He was posted to Lagos, where he supervised the construction of Surulere Market. At the end of the service year, he was awarded ‘Head of State’s Special Certificate of Honou’r for outstanding performance.
After his service year, precisely in 1974, he got a special posting to the Chad Basin Development Authority (CBDA) as an irrigation engineer. His assignment included planning and construction of CBDA projects. His performance in that capacity was highly rated and he immensely contributed to giving the organization, which was then newly established, a sound footing.
In 1978 Ambassador Bunu Sheriff was awarded overseas scholarship and went to University of Southampton where he obtained Master of Science degree (Msc) in irrigation in 1980. On his return from overseas, he served the CBDA in various capacities, rising in 1982 to become the General Manager of the Authority. Under his leader, the activities of the CBDA expanded by leaps and bounds, reaching a record growth from 2000 to 14,000 hectares development, producing 20, 000 tones of wheat per year.
His impeccable records in the civil service and his excellent performance as General Manager of CBDA earned him respect and admiration of the Babangida Administration (1985-1993) .and he was appointed Minister of Industries in 1985. In 1986, he was deployed to the Ministry of Mines, Power and Steel. He was in the Ministry of Aviation in 1989. In 1990 he was deployed to the Ministry of Water Resources. From Water Resources he was deployed to the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity, where he had been the minister until the dissolution of the Federal Executive Council in 1993. He was the longest serving minister in the Babangida Administration.
After his ministerial services, at home, he was selected Chairman of Borno State Police -Community Relations Committee, aimed creating good understanding and fostering harmonious relationship between the police and the community, thereby enhancing crime control. In the same year (1993), he was selected Chairman of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and Community Relations Committee to educate the public on the activities of the Teaching Hospital, thereby enhancing its patronage as a Centre of Excellence.
In 1994, Ambassador Bunu Sheriff was nominated to the National Constitutional Conference which was charged with the responsibility for maintaining national unity and implanting in the minds of the citizenry, institutional arrangements for the growth of democracy in Nigeria.
During the Abacha Administration (19931998), Ambassador Bunu served as a member of Vision 2010, from 1996 to 1997. In 1998 he was appointed Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of France. He however returned home the following year on the installation of Democratic Government in Nigeria and recall of political appointees. In recognition of his service, he was decorated with French National Honour of Grand Officer of the Order of National Merit of France by the President of French Republic.
In the year 2001,he was appointed member, Board of Directors of Oceanic Bank International Plc. Furthermore, in 2003 he was appointed member, Board of Directors of Federal Roads Maintenance Agency. His latest appointment is as Chairman, Board of Trustees of Hadeja-Jamaare Kumodugu Yobe Trust Fund.
Ambassador Engineer Bunu Sheriff Musa was conferred the Nigerian National Honour of the ‘’Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR) in 2004.
He is married with eleven children and lives in Maiduguri.

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