By Oladipo Ibironke-Duyile
Once a leader, always a leader. The act of leadership can be imbued in people, but history from time immemorial has portrayed to humanity that, though some acquired leadership qualities by training, many are found to be born with those traits that often distinguished them from their compeers when issues of making things better for humanity are concerned.
For those who have kept fate with history makers and major actors of modern Nigeria, the story of Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa Rtd. is as open as a book. The man seem synonymous with achievements and breaking of performance records wherever he goes. That’s the attribute that has made him who he is today across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
When he was appointed as Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, {NDLEA}, that appointment came up at a time when the Agency without doubt was seemingly begging for reorganization. The body as it were, was almost in a comatose, despite the huge efforts made by those at helms of affairs then. It was nearly pleading for resurgence from a new leadership that would bring it the needed relevance and attention from the government of the day.
Today, from whatever side of perception the NDLEA is viewed, it has returned to its earlier status as the “nightmare of drug traffickers”. The rate at which the Buba Marwa-led NDLEA now arrests drug traffickers, intercept consignments of illicit substances, combat those involved in this illicit trade that had caused many families pains has been encouraging and hope-rising, sort of. It is truly a case of “one new sheriff in town”.
Little wonder since his advent into the NDLEA “ship”, the Agency has regained her hitherto nomenclature of a truly national drug law enforcement agency with full determination and drive to fulfil its mandate as prescribed and protected by law. Those familiar with the NDLEA story would find it relieving that the Agency is now one of the prides of the nation. It has now come to show that Nigeria is once again serious about the fight to curb and combat drug trafficking and drug abuse. There is now, a better approach and trend to the war against drug abuse and drug trafficking in Nigeria. So those already contemplating on going into that line of business had better think twice. For the new man at the helms of affairs is a no nonsense anti-drug czar.
Any objective observer of the new war against drug abuse and business in Nigeria will attest to the fact that the strategies being employed by the new Buba Marwa – led NDLEA is both administrative and managemental. The agency has once again brought itself close to the people. The information tactics of exposing the tricks of drug cartels and abusers across the country is phenomenal. That is exactly the Marwa’s wand. A quest into how the operations of the agency prides its retinue of agents and officers revealed in the quest of putting together this piece Marwa – revived Nigeria’s NDLEA that the officers and men of the body are now in very high spirit. The return of job –pride is one thing anyone will first notice in any conversation with such officers.
Some of them who spoke in annonimity claimed that “the spirit of our officers is very high and people are now taking NDLEA officers more serious than they used to” It is now obvious that the new experience of these officers is the result of the vigour, approach to the job and morale boosting strategies of the incumbent Chairman of the Agency, Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa Rtd., the performing anti drug czar of the “new” NDLEA.
For those who may not know, Mohammed Buba Marwa is a man of achievements. His past records are there for all to see. Now, The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), he was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR. He took over from Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah rtd. who completed his tenure in office.
A retired Nigerian army officer who served as governor of Borno State, and then Lagos State during the military administrations of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Late Gen. Sani Abacha.
Mohammed Buba Marwa was born on September 9, 1953 in Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria. He hails from Michika L.G.A of Adamawa State. He attended the Nigerian Military School – Zaria and the Nigerian Defense Academy-Kaduna. Later, while in the army, he studied at Pittsburgh University, where he obtained a master’s degree in International Relations, and he also obtained a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.
He was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant in the Nigerian Army Reconnaissance Corps before moving to the Armoured Corp. He held various posts in the army, including Brigade Major (23 Armoured Brigade), Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, academic registrar of the Nigerian Defense Academy and deputy defense adviser in the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC.
In 1990, he was appointed Governor of Borno State. In 1992, he became the defense adviser to the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations. From 1996 to 1999 Marwa was Military Governor of Lagos State. During his administration, he implemented programs such as “Operation 250 Roads” which greatly improved motoring conditions in the state. He revamped public health institutions, and ensured that free malaria treatment was available to all. View pictures in App save up to 80% data.
His administration upgraded infrastructure in the poor neighborhoods in Lagos state. He proclaimed an edict to regulate rents, stopping the “Jankara” method of eviction of tenants and ensuring that due process was followed. Marwa became well respected in Lagos because of “Operation Sweep”, a joint police and military venture that helped reduce Lagos state notorious crime rate.
In February 1998, Buba Marwa said on Nigerian state radio and television that unknown persons were again trying to assassinate him, and that he and his entourage had been the target of several bomb attacks starting in 1996. But he said that he would not be intimidated. In May 1998, Mohammed Buba Marwa imposed fuel rationing in Lagos State in an attempt to tackle petrol shortages and reduce chronic queuing at petrol stations. In July 1998, Marwa opened a new asphalt plant in Lagos, the largest of its kind in Nigeria.
After retiring from the Nigerian army at the end of his term as Lagos State Governor, Brigadier General Marwa founded the Albarka Airlines and the Buba Marwa Endowment. In September, 2003, Buba Marwa gave up his position of Chairman / Chief Executive Officer of Albarka Airlines. In May 2007, the government of Nigeria withdrew the operating licenses of Albarka Airlines in controversial circumstance, were some says it was for political reasons.
In December 2006, Marwa announced that he would be running in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primaries to become the party’s candidate for Presidential election. His bid was unsuccessful, were he gave his support to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who succeeded to become the president.
In 2007 he was appointed Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa. Marwa then in 2011 became the gubernatorial candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in his Adamawa home state against the then incumbent governor, Murtala Nyako. Marwa decamped from APC due to complaints of unfair treatment of his followers after his party CPC merged with ANPP and the ACN, following the decamping of Governor Nyako to the same party.
In June 2015, Marwa returned to the APC with his followers following the swearing in of President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29, 2015. The NDLEA boss had worked as Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse (PACEDA) between 2018 and December, 2020, along with others to develop a blueprint on how to end drug abuse in Nigeria. Little wonder, he is poised to turn that into his added list of achievements with his practicability of that blueprint.
Marwa was once military attaché, Nigerian Embassy, Washington DC, USA, and defence attaché, United Nations, New York, as well as former ambassador to South Africa and the Kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland. His many achievements rather than made his proud of himself has made spurred him into seeing every assignment as national. Thus he does not take chances improving on his past records by the day.