A trail blazer; Buba Marwa emerges 2021 Champion Newspapers Man of the Year

By KELVIN EGERUE

“If l have done nothing wrong, and my attitude is well-meaning, a difficult situation is just for my ability to remain beyond the judgment of others. People will naturally start trusting me when they see my reliability and consistency”—anonymous.

These and many more attributes of a charismatic and revolutionary leader are true of the person of Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd) who has surpassed nine other outstanding Nigerians to emerge 2021 Champion Newspapers Man of the Year.

In announcing the result of a painstaking selection process which produced Buba Marwa as Champion Newspaper Limited Man of the Year for 2021, the board and executive management of one of the oldest newspapers in Nigeria said that the choice of Marwa, a man known to always blaze the trail in every of his endevours noted his intelligence-driven strategies  coupled with uncommon determination and  dedication to service which he has deployed in breathing  fresh air into the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) since his assumption of office in January  2021 as Chairman of the agency  thus resulting in monumental rebirth in the capacity of the NDLEA to achieve its mandate top of which is to rid the nation of the destructive effects of hard drugs among the populace.

“On all scores, our findings, largely corroborated by that of credible independent assessors, confirmed that your tireless efforts in strengthening and repositioning the NDLEA to deliver on its mandate of eradicating the use of hard drugs in the country have been very outstanding”, the Group Managing Director  and Editor-In-Chief of Champion Newspapers Limited Dr (Mrs) Nwadiuto Iheakanwa declared in a letter conveying the choice of Marwa as Champion Newspaper 2021 Man of the Year.

Describing Marwa as “a promise keeper”, Iheakanwa reminded the NDLEA boss that “you have fulfilled your initial pledge to give topmost priority to the welfare of personnel of NDLEA which is why under your leadership, almost on a daily basis, there are press statements announcing seizures of hard drugs and arrest of traffickers or barons”.

When Buba Marwa, a former governor of both Lagos and old Borno States will stand tall on the podium in May of 2022 to be decorated as 2021 Champion Newspaper Man of the Year, he will be joining the league of other distinguished Nigerians like former governors of Anambra and Ekiti States His Excellencies Peter Obi and Kayode Fayemi respectively as well as Executive Chairman of Air Peace Mr Allen Onyema who have been previously honoured with similar awards.

“Your astonishing achievements thus far include the arrest of over 9,000 drug traffickers and sellers; renewed advocacy on the dangers that drug abuse poses to the society have been described as unprecedented and incredible in the light of obvious mitigating circumstances in the country.

“As watch dog of the society, it is our statutory duty not only to track and document your performance, but also to acknowledge your commitment to serve fatherland and your doggedness to transform our society for good” the Group Managing Director of Champion submitted.

A detribalized Nigerian in birth and public service, Buba Marwa who  served as Governor of Lagos State between 1996 and 1999 is not new to been honoured for honour is his middle name. The award of 2021 Champion Newspaper Man of the Year came as icing on the cake.

A recipient of Gold Merit Award from the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Marwa is Grand Patron of the Nigerian Youth Association and also Nigeria Maltese Business Council.

His leadership acumen has been recognised with various other awards which include the Zik Award for Political Leadership, Kwame Nkrumah Leadership Award (Ghana) and Outstanding Leadership Award by the Joint Youth Association of Nigeria. Also has in his kitty is Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Memorial Foundation’s Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award, Millenium Award by Youths Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) and National Distinguished Merit Award in Transportation from the Centre for Transport Studies among others. Marwa, 2003 Diversity Speaker at the College of Business Studies, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, and winner of the First WOTCLEF Merit Award, is Patron of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ, Oyo State Council) and Grand Patron, All Africa Students’ Union (AASU).

Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa rtd who was born in Kaduna on September 9, 1953 is a scion of a military family considering that his father, Buba Marwa and grandfather, Buba Yola, had served in the Nigeria Army hence he did not deviate from that path. He had his primary school education across Nigeria in Enugu, Zaria, Abeokuta and Lagos between 1960 and 1965 and had gone ahead to attend the Nigerian Military School in Zaria (1966-70). Subsequently, he completed a regular combatant course at the Nigerian Defence Academy  and was commissioned into Nigeria Army Recce Corps (NARC) in June 1973.

His public service career was as distinguished as his post retirement engagements considering the high measure of successes which have characterized his endevours.

General Marwa who has two postgraduate degrees, namely Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh (1983-85) and Master of Public Administration from Harvard (1985-86) holds certificates in International Security Studies, Leadership and Organisational Innovation and Project Planning and Evaluation.

Always willing to serve, he held several command and staff appointments in the Nigeria Army, including Deputy Defense Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC. By and large, he is renowned for his public administration acumen.

Appointed Military Governor of old Borno State (present Borno and Yobe states) from June 1990 to 1992, his administration had a far-reaching impact on the populace in diverse ways including in health care delivery, education and agriculture. Marwa created the first Ministry of Water Resources and by direct labour, the state undertook the construction of roads and completed the Maiduguri International Hotel.

No wonder then that he was, in August 1996 appointed Military Administrator of Lagos State. His three-year tenure in the state was accompanied by strategic programmes. The feats were achieved on strict budgeting. Marwa, who did not borrow from any bank throughout his tenure, handed over a cash amount of N2 billion―the highest amount handed over from one state administration to another.

His exemplary leadership earned him “Nigeria’s Man of the Year 1997” by Newswatch, Nigeria’s oldest and most influential weekly magazine.

During his administration as Governor of Lagos State, he implemented programs such as “Operation 250 Roads” which greatly improved motoring conditions. He revamped public health institutions and ensured that free malaria treatment was available to all. His administration upgraded infrastructure in poor neighborhoods. 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’ notorious crime rate.

Conferring Champion Newspaper man of the Year award on Buba Marwa is perhaps a better way of re-enforcing tradition of excellence on a man described as a bridge builder who has been celebrated both at home and abroad. In 2003 the Federal Government awarded Buba Marwa  Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). He had previously in 1998 received Distinguished Service Star (DSS). Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi , Doctor of Public Administration (Honoris Causa), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Doctor of Management Technology (Honoris Causa) Federal University of Technology, Owerri  as well as the 2003 Outstanding Leadership Award of the Centre For Multicultural Leadership University of Kansas, Lawrence  thus making him the first African to be honoured by the Institute within its first 10 years of inaugurating the award.

According to the Group Managing Director and Editor-In-Chief of Champion Newspapers Limited, there is no better person than Buba Marwa to be decorated as Champion Newspapers 2021 Man of the Year.

“This award, a product of the painstaking selection of our Board of Editors, is our modest way of recognizing leaders in both public and private sectors of the economy who have made greater sacrifices in ensuring that the objectives and fundamental ideals of our nationhood are sustained” Dr (Mrs) Iheakanwa reiterated.