With the appointment of General Buba Marwa for a second term in the saddle as the Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, he has walked straight where some mortals were unwittingly unable to weather the storm in the murky waters where drug cartels and associated allies hold the ace.
Marwa was first appointed in the year 2021 by the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari for first term of five years. That was after he had made a foray into the nation’s political terrain, taking a shot at party primaries level to clinch the coveted position of presidential candidate. It is believed that a second term was renewable based on the prerogative of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces..
Before assuming leadership of the NDLEA, Marwa served as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to December 2020 holding sway, a position that may have proven that he was capable of holding his own as the nation’s number one drug czar.
The government it was said relied on Marwa’s broad military and administrative background to re-consider him for a job renewal, judging from his impressive record.
It is salutary that he is remaining on board at a time when drug addiction and indeed merchandising is broadening across several quarters.
Marwa’s background speaks volume on why he is not lacking in capacity. He attended the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973, he went on to serve as brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, and later as academic registrar at the NDA.
His international service includes postings as Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and later as Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
Marwa also holds distinguished academic qualifications, including a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
Under his leadership, the NDLEA has recorded significant achievements. The State House highlighted key milestones such as the arrest of 73,000 drug traffickers and barons, and seizures exceeding 15 million kilogrammes of illicit substances. The agency has equally strengthened nationwide anti-drug abuse campaigns. No leader since the inception of the NDLEA has achieved half of these feats.
At a time when many youths are finding drugs as the way out of serial frustrations occasioned by
A former military governor of Lagos and Borno states, Marwa is now expected to consolidate the gains achieved during his first tenure and sustain the agency’s ongoing momentum in combating narcotics.
Marwa was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Reconnaissance Corps before moving to the Armoured Corps, he held several roles, including Brigade Major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Army Staff, Academic Registrar of the NDA, and deputy defence adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C. He became Borno State Governor in 1990 and, in 1992, Defence Adviser at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
He holds a Master Degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh (1983–85) and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University (1985–86).
He also held several command and staff positions in the Nigerian Army, including Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
As Military Governor of old Borno State (now Borno and Yobe states) from June 1990 to 1992, he established the state’s first Ministry of Water Resources and oversaw projects such as road construction and the completion of Maiduguri International Hotel.
He was later appointed as Military Administrator of Lagos State where he distinguished himself among his peers.
His Midas touch has seen a transformation yet to be seen in the history of NDLEA and we believe his renewed tenure would be no less experiential.
On these positive notes, AljazirahNigeria congratulates Marwa on this momentous reappointment and urges that he doubles effort to enhance his previous capacity. Younger Nigerian and others have so much to take home from the crowded chapters of his unrivalled performance.
