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By Neta Nwosu
Brig Gen Mohammed Marwa (retd.) is a man whose name resonates as a personification of excellence in public service, from as far back as his days as the Military Administrator of Lagos State. Now, as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, he has impressed Nigerians again with his administrative acumen, which is reflected in the turnaround of the otherwise moribund anti-narcotic agency that now commands global respect.
The retired military general has consistently distinguished himself as a top public servant with uncommon character, passion for excellence and commitment to service. At various organisations where he served Nigeria, his stewardship brought maximum benefits to the country. It is not difficult, therefore, to pick him as a candidate for the Centenary Public Service Award of the Catholic Herald. Marwa’s visionary leadership and achievements in just three years at the anti-narcotic agency brings back the sweet memory of the military officer who stood head and above his peers in public administration in the late 1990s.
As a military administrator, he was unarguably the best of the pack, a recognition that was sealed with Newswatch’s “Nigeria’s Man of the Year 1997.” Many believed Lagos was his magnum opus until he emerged at NDLEA, where he is setting a new paradigm of how to deliver in public service. Born in Kaduna on September 9, 1953, Marwa is the scion of a military family, with a grandfather, Buba Yola, a father, Buba Marwa and a younger brother, Adamu Marwa, who all served in the Nigerian Army.
He joined the Nigerian Military School, NMS, Zaria (1966- 70) and proceeded to the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, Kaduna (1971-73) and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army Recce Corps (NARC) in June 1973. He distinguished himself in all the courses he attended at home and abroad in Pakistan, India and the United States of America. His career was characterised by several command and staff appointments, including in foreign service.
These include, the Commanding Officer of the Armoured Corps premier Tank Battalion, T212 Tank Battalion; Deputy Defense Adviser, Nigerian Embassy, Washington, DC; Defense Adviser, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, New York; and Registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA. Marwa left a record of scholarship in the military, where he came first in order of merit in several exams, including the Lieutenant to Captain practical promotion exam, Enugu (1975); Regimental Signal Officers Course (1975); Junior Staff College Course (1979-80); Captain to Major qualifying exam, Kaduna (1981); and Staff College Senior Division (1981-1982).
His scholarly disposition also showed in his academic pursuit, which earned him two postgraduate degrees of Master’s of Public and International Affairs (1983-85) from the University of Pittsburgh and Master’s of Public Administration (1985- 86) from Harvard University, both in the United States of America. Marwa’s intellectual sagacity also extends to the writing of books. He is a published author of three books, namely Nigerian Army Dictionary, Appreciation, and Grand Tactics. He also co-authored Nigeria in Peacekeeping Operations. Aside from these credentials, Marwa made the biggest impression with his public administration acumen when he administered states during the military era.
As Military Governor of Borno State (present-day Borno and Yobe) from 1990 to 1992, one of his major achievements was how he effectively curbed a budding insecurity, brought about by rebels from neighbouring Chad. He put together a military task force, codenamed “Operation Zaki,” comprising army and air force personnel who used helicopters to respond quickly and decisively against cross-border raiders. That way, he quickly nipped the crisis in the bud.
In Borno, Marwa created the first Ministry of Water Resources in the country and completed the Maiduguri International Hotel through direct labour, among other projects. Later, as Military Administrator of Lagos State from 1996 to 1999, he applied the same template to restore law and order in Lagos through Operation Sweep.
He ended the reign of robbers and hoodlums and made the street safe for Lagosians. He also undertook developmental projects, some of which are visible in Lagos today as legacies from his era. Among his achievements were the construction and commissioning of eight housing estates; construction and rehabilitation of over 700 roads mainly through direct labour; construction of Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) from scratch; and the treatment of malaria and the admission of children in hospitals free of charge. To ease transportation, he introduced the now-ubiquitous three-wheeler vehicle, popularly called Keke Marwa.
When the country transitioned from military rule to democracy in 1999, Marwa handed over the reins of administration of Lagos to Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu (now President) and also handed over the sum of N2 billion, the highest amount handed over from one state administration to another. Post-military; he continued serving the country in various capacities, including as the Chairman of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) from 2000 to 2006. He upgraded DICON’s productivity to manufacture the prototypes of 60mm and 81mm mortars and RPG-7 from scratch using local materials and also started the manufacturing of the prototype of a 105mm field gun.
His scope of national service was further expanded to include, diplomacy when he was appointed High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa, with concurrent accreditation to the Kingdoms of Swaziland and Lesotho from 2008 to 2010. He also served as the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse, PACEDA, from 2018 to 2020. In 2021, he was appointed the Chairman and CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
He continues to be a marvel to Nigerians with his indefatigable efforts that make a difference in whatever assignment he oversees. One can under Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd… stand what makes him tick by taking a cue from words he spoke years ago when he was the administrator of Lagos: “The challenge of public service, for me, is a motivation. You want to solve problems. You want to make society better. You want to drive away criminals so law-abiding citizens can live in peace…What motivates me is the desire to do the greatest good.”
And what’s more, six months is the window period to make an impact, according to Marwa; at NDLEA, it took him only 15 days after he launched “Operation Offensive Action” against drug traffickers on his first day in office as the agency’s helmsman. In three years, he is still working the magic. The statistics are testaments to the Marwa turnaround at NDLEA: From January 2021 to July 2023, NDLEA arrested 52, 901 drug trafficking offenders (including 50 barons), and got 9, 034 convicted on various jail terms, including three life sentences.
A Marwa-led NDLEA also seized 7.6 million kilograms of illicit drugs in three years. The cash and drugs seized by the agency were estimated to have been worth N958 billion, while 948 houses, vehicles and other assets were forfeited by drug traffickers. The agency also destroyed 1,057.3 hectares of cannabis farms, and within the period, also counselled and rehabilitated 33, 453 drug users. Using its flagship War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign, the agency also spread anti-drug awareness through lectures at 6, 423 places that include schools, offices, markets and communities. Recently, the agency has been working on an Alternative Development Programme to put an end to cannabis cultivation in the country.
For an agency that was dormant for the first 30 years of its existence, Marwa galvanised NDLEA with his leadership to make it one of the best government agencies in the country. Nigeria and Nigerians appreciate Marwa for his efforts. North and South, East and West, he has been honoured with at least 30 chieftaincy titles in addition to the national awards of Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON (2022), and Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR (2003). The military awarded him the Nigerian Armed Forces Honour of Distinguished Service Star, DSS (1998).
The academics, too, appreciate him as he is a recipient of honorary doctorates from three tertiary institutions, namely Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; and Federal University of Technology, Owerri. The public’s respect for him is reflected in the slew of leadership accolades he has received from respected media outfits, such as Leadership, The Sun, Vanguard, Blueprint and Champion, Nation and Leadership, among others. All for hard work, results and achievements. And all in three years. The Catholic Herald found him worthy of its Centenary Public Service Awards.
Neta Nwosu is the Editor of The Catholic Herald weekly newspaper and CEO, Neta & Netas Media.
