Marwa, A Man of Uncommon Grace At 72

I person had the privilege of knowing Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) for astir 30 years. As a young reporter, I observed from a moving region thek metamorphosis of a subject head who was dissimilar immoderate other—an enigma committed arsenic overmuch to his enactment arsenic to becoming a paragon of excellence successful nationalist administration. In an epoch erstwhile subject governments were often distant from the people, helium ironically became a antheral of the radical successful Lagos State, the precise cauldron of anti-military sentiment.

Quite luckily, twenty-five years later, I recovered myself moving with him arsenic my nonstop boss. Then, and adjacent now, helium remains the quintessential beacon of enactment and inspiration. Certain men are legends: larger than beingness by their achievements. Gen Marwa is undoubtedly 1 of them. Around him, determination are never-ending stories of his goodness, drive, and accomplishments. Wherever you go—from New York to Washington; from Borno to Lagos; from Kaduna to Abuja and from Lagos to Owerri—if you conscionable idiosyncratic who has worked with him oregon knows him successful a enactment oregon idiosyncratic capacity, the brushwood is definite to uncover caller perspectives of Marwa. Each caller recollection adds different magnitude to his multifaceted personality. Despite knowing him for years, I inactive perceive caller details by the day.

Working intimately with him astatine Nigeria’s anti-narcotics bureau implicit the past 56 months has afforded maine the accidental to bespeak connected his character, distil his qualities, and place what stands him out. In that way, I besides person my ain stories to archer astir him successful a enactment context. I tin accidental this without immoderate iota of uncertainty oregon contradiction: wherever helium works, the spot feels the pulse of change, and helium leaves a bequest that continues to echo for generations, agelong aft his departure.

One specified communicative comes from his tenure arsenic Defence Adviser successful New York. He had antecedently served concisely arsenic Deputy Defence Adviser astatine the Nigerian Embassy successful Washington earlier his callback home. His 2nd tenure successful America, arsenic Defence Adviser astatine Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, resonates to this day. Through his foresight and effort, helium was capable to unafraid imperishable accommodation for aboriginal occupants of that role—a privilege that had not existed earlier him. His predecessors had been near to lick accommodation challenges connected their own, but helium deemed it acceptable that determination should beryllium an authoritative residence for the bureau and was committed to marque it a reality. Today, that is simply a lasting bequest of the office.

There was a beardown consciousness of déjà vu earlier successful February this year, erstwhile helium stood with dignitaries to committee the first-ever barracks for the 35-year-old National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). What helium accomplished decades agone successful New York was repeated astatine NDLEA, wherever helium presently serves. That is the vintage MB Marwa. His beingness and bequest travel a acquainted arc. At DICON, helium transformed what did not beryllium into tangible structures and systems.

In Lagos, his achievements were legendary; successful recounting them, helium is often elevated to an Olympian. Lagosians retrieve his interaction vividly and with nostalgia, reveling successful his legacies. The celebrated ‘Keke Marwa,’ present ubiquitous crossed the country, remains a reminder of his bonzer administrative acumen successful Lagos. His different imprints, specified arsenic restoration of information done Operation Sweep; Operation 250 Roads; the operation of galore lodging estates; Lagos University College of Medicine; and Eko Tourist Beach Resort, to sanction but a few, basal successful bold alleviation successful the state’s history. Indeed, his transformative power extends backmost to his clip successful the aged Borno State (now contiguous time Borno and Yobe states), which is inactive recalled with admiration by the procreation that experienced him. The constitution of State Ministry of Water Resources successful Nigeria began successful Borno, and its creator was the State Military Governor,y the past Colonel Mohamed Buba Marwa.

Now, astatine NDLEA, his 4 and fractional years of enactment person been arsenic transformative. His imaginativeness and guidance person woken a sleeping elephantine by introducing reforms that are some foundational and forward-looking. Today, NDLEA’s work resonates not lone nationally but regionally and globally. For Marwa, determination is nary magic wand—that is my summation. Yes, enactment and imaginativeness are traits helium embodies, but these unsocial cannot adequately seizure the essence of the man.

In my last conclusion, I ever say: helium is simply a antheral of uncommon grace, imbued with the capableness to interaction lives, signifier institutions, and permission an indelible mark. In that way, his sanction has recovered its spot successful our nationalist publication of exploits for services of enduring impact.

As helium celebrates his 72nd day contiguous 9th September, I americium delighted to articulation others successful wishing him a agelong and fulfilling life. He is simply a celebrated hero: with 2 nationalist honours, CON and OFR, scores of chieftai...