From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd) has charged all the newly promoted officers and men of the agency to go all out and crush drug cartels across Nigeria.
He gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja during a ceremony to decorate newly promoted Deputy Commanders General of Narcotics, DCGNs and Assistant Commanders General of Narcotics, ACGNs.
The beneficiaries were among the 3, 506 officers and men that were promoted in June 27, 2021 by Gen. Marwa to break the jinx of long years of stagnation in the agency.
The promotion exercise was sequel to a report by the harmonisation committee he instituted soon after assuming leadership of the agency in January, to address the issues of low morale and stagnation in the career path of personnel.
After due consideration of the recommendations by the committee, the NDLEA chief executive approved the immediate promotion of 2,910 officers between the rank of Narcotic Assistant I and Superintendent of Narcotics, while 596 others between Chief Superintendent of Narcotics and Assistant Commander General of Narcotics were recommended to the board of the agency for elevation to the next ranks, a recommendation that was approved by the board, on Wednesday, June 16, 2021.
Addressing the newly promoted DCGNs and ACGNs during their decoration with their new ranks, yestrday, in Abuja, Gen. Marwa said the exercise is part of efforts to ensure that the nation’s anti-drug war succeeds. “Any clog in our wheels, we’ll destroy and must be crushed. This war must be pursued relentlessly, the entire country mobilised and we must succeed”, he declared while charging the topmost officers to go all out and crush the drug scourge in every part of the country.
He attributed the success so far recorded by the Agency to the support of President Muhammadu Buhari who “graciously approved payment of liabilities and entitlements owed staff for years and also burial expenses due to families of deceased officers since 2015.”
He assured officers and men of the Agency that their welfare and care will continue to remain uppermost under his leadership.
Chairman of the Harmonisation Committee and Special Adviser to the Chairman, Col. Yakubu Bako (retd); Director of Administration and Establishment, Sani Ibrahim Sani, as well as the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Victoria Egbase, who spoke at the ceremony, commended Gen. Marwa for restoring the dignity and morale of the workforce through his purposeful and result oriented leadership of the agency.