Buba Marwa @ 64 – A Talented Leader, Tamed Islamist Militannts in Borno; Criminality, Exploitation in Lagos, yet the Nation overlooks his ‘Wealth of Experience’.

On Saturday September 9, 2017, Retired Brigadier-General Buba Marwa, the ‘Operation Zaki’ exponent, during his time as Military Governor in the old Borno State that comprises states today, which effectively contained the excesses and criminality that has snowballed into Islamic insurgency that for years now, threatened to swallow the entire North East zone of the country, turned 64 years.

Marwa it was also, who brought his gift and acumen of talented leadership traits to govern Lagos State at the heydays of the political struggle to rid the nation of military autocracy and insecurity at the hands of criminal elements who held the state to ransom.

Of course, millions of Nigerians living in Lagos, a mini-Nigeria, will not forget in a hurry the breadth of fresh are that ‘Operation Sweep’ which Marwa personally commanded cleaned the state of criminality to the extent that at one point, criminals resorted to writing letters begging the governor to go on ‘leave’ even if for one day, so that they can operate and have money to take care of their families.

What about the exploitative tendencies of shylock landlords and house owners that threatened to wipe out accommodation for middle income earners and the poor people with exorbitant rents; a situation that was saved by Marwa’s enactment and implementation of the only official Rent Edict that ever worked in Nigeria.    

It is a sad and unfortunate taste in the mouth that such a tried and convincing product of proven intellect is being overlooked by successive democratic administrations even when the cry is so loud that leaders of today including ministers, governors etc. have all come short of the capacity needed to move the nation out of the debilitating challenges bogging its progress.

General Marwa was born September 9, 1953 in Kaduna, Kaduna State, though he hails from Michika in Adamawa State.

 He attended the Nigerian Military School in Zaria and the Nigerian Defense Academy in Kaduna before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army.

Marwa has an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Pittsburg and an M.A. in Public Administration from Harvard University.

He has served Nigeria as a Troop Leader, a Squadron Captain, a Squadron Leader, a Deputy Assistant Adjutant/Quartermaster-General and a Brigade Major (23 Armoured Brigade).

At the Nigeria Army headquarters, he served as Staff Officer (SO) under various army units and formations including ‘Army Equipment’, ‘Fighting Vehicles’ and Staff Duties/Plans (Department of Armour).

He also has the privilege of serving as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to one time Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (retd).

He was the Academic Registrar of the Nigerian Defense Academy and as a Lieutenant Colonel, served as the Deputy Defense Adviser (Army) in the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC.

He was recalled from this position in 1990 to serve as the Governor of Borno State.

In 1992, Buba Marwa became the Defense Adviser to the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations before being recalled again, this time to govern Lagos State.

Marwa was a former military administrator of Lagos and Borno states.

Upon retirement from the army, Gen. Marwa founded Albarka Airlines and the Buba Marwa Endowment.

He is married to Mrs. Munira Marwa and has four sons and four daughters.

Happy Birthday General!

END.