By FEMI BABAFEMI

FOR over two decades, Mohamed Buba Marwa was the subject of he- roic tales of exemplary leadership. Those who experienced him readily argued that he was one of the shining examples of good leadership when the military was in charge of the country. The story of how he turned around Lagos, breaking the stranglehold of robbers and taming the lawlessness of the Area Boys echoes now and again.

And like true legends, there were legacies to his name, too many to mention in one breath, including the famous Keke Marwa and the reinvigoration of Operation Sweep. Now and then, there were expres- sions of nostalgia for “the days of Mar- wa”, as a metaphor for effective leader- ship.

But as fate would have it, a second op- portunity to relive the Marwa Experience surfaced on January 15, 2021, when Pres- ident Muhammadu Buhari appointed the retired Brigadier-General as the new Chairman and Chief Executive of the Na- tional Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

The news generated a buzz and rekin- dled old memories. The legend of Marwa came back to life. Can thunder strike twice? Many wondered, not out of scepticism, but from the swellings of great expectations.

Twenty months later, Brig. Gen. Moham- ed Buba Marwa (retd), OFR, proved his old admirers right. He has won new hearts with his dynamic leadership at the NDLEA. Today, what was once a story from a past era, of the “Marwa Magic in Lagos”, is now the story of our time as captured by the Marwa Effect in NDLEA.

Indeed, Marwa has held many high-pro- file offices in his time, including as Mili- tary Governor of Old Borno (1990-1992), Registrar of the Nigeria Defence Acade- my (1992-1993) and Military Administrator of Lagos (1996- 1999). What is remarkable is that he has maintained a consistent trajectory of achievements attained on the altar of purposive leadership and effective management.

In a country where issues are profoundly politicised and achievements of public officers are viewed with distrust and x- rayed for ulterior motives, Marwa is an exception. Nigerians from all walks of life, across political divides, from different re- ligious leanings and of diverse ethnicities, are in one accord in their appraisal of him, his reforms, leadership and transforma- tion of NDLEA: a job well done, so far.

No wonder, in recognition of his contri- butions to the development of Nigeria and empowerment of humanity, General Mar- wa has as at today 19 chieftaincy titles across the country. These include: Aare Atunluse of Yorubaland; Atunluse of Iko- rodu; Aare Agbaakin of Lagos; De Nukon- ga Gbedite of Badagry; Ochi Oha I of Umuozzi in Enugu; Ochinigwe of Ig- boland; Soludero of Egbaland; Mayegun of Ibadanland; Turakin Angasawa (Pank- shin); Akinrogun of Osogboland; Babala- je of Ijeshaland; Ciroman Zah (Adamawa State); Apesin-Ola of Saki; Aare Atayese of Ayetoro (Ekiti); Atobase of Okeho; Mene-Yereba 1 of Ogoniland (Rivers State); Fagachin Adamawa; Aare Jagun- molu of Ogidi Kingdom (Kogi State); Otene Ete, Egbura (Koton Karfe), Kogi State and Santuraki of Abaji Kingdom, FCT.

Discussions about him invariably always narrow down to the question of what makes Marwa tick as a leader. For an- swers, the details are in bold relief. One, where other leaders are overcautious of taking a radical step, Marwa doesn’t dith- er, if the situation calls for it. He demon- strated this when he expanded the NDLEA by creating six new directorates, 14 zonal commands, and a tactical unit of Strike Forces, among others.

Two, he also doesn’t go on “wild goose chases”. His every action is strategic and calculated to deliver results. An example is his Offensive Action operation launched a few days after he became the helmsman of the anti-narcotic agency. The results: 18,940 arrests, 2, 904 convictions, and 3.6m kg of drugs seized from January 2021 to July 2022, were watersheds in the history of the Agency.

Three, he believes in results by motiva- tion. His philosophy has always been that organisational goals are easily achieved when the workforce gives its best and that the best can only come from happy work- ers. In this regard, he pulled all the stops to give the NDLEA workforce improved work conditions. That process is still on- going, and so far, there have been promo- tions, payment of allowances and other constructive developments that give hope to the Agency’s staff.

Marwa is a stickler for innovation. That is his fourth quality as a leader. A man who believes in pushing the boundary. We canseethatinthepresentmetamorpho- sis of NDLEA, especially in the Agency’s War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advoca- cy. In many areas, the NDLEA is blazing the trail in drug law enforcement and the approach adopted by the Marwa-led ad- ministration is winning the confidence of Nigerians.

Five, he is a man who plans. His tenure as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse, PACEDA, laid the groundwork for the total overhaul of NDLEA, ensuring that he arrived at NDLEA with a blueprint. That underscores why his tenure will be different in the annals of NDLEA. After 20 months, his plans are taking shape and it is obvious to the public that he and his management team are caught in a histor- ic moment and process of rebuilding NDLEA into an institution that will stand the test of time.

Back in 1997, he was hailed by News- watch magazine as “Man of the Year.” And 24 years later, he was Champion newspa- per’s “2021 Man of the Year.” In the past year, there were no less than 10 media ho- nours for him and the Agency. What that tells us is: Despite the time lapse between his last major public administration and his present appointment, Marwa is still his vintage self.

This man of history clocks 69 today. On a day like this, one would have wished he’s seated with his family, friends and well-wishers to celebrate but no, he’s in far away United States of America streng- htening ties with our strong allies and partners, pushing for the wellbeing of of- ficers and betterment of NDLEA. What a sacrifice to make for others and the good of our nation, Nigeria! Being with him on this journey, I remember, we can’t let this day just go by without putting out these few lines to appreciate him. No doubt, we have a cause to felicitate with him, and his family, if not for anything, but in ap- preciation of his selfless service to his coun- try.

•Babafemi is the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA