By ABBAS JIMOH

The Chairman/Chief Executive, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), has charged all the newly promoted officers and men of the anti-narcotic agency to go all out and crush drug cartels across the country.

He gave the charge on Thursday in Abuja during the decoration of newly promoted Deputy Commander-Generals of Narcotics (DCGNs) and Assistant Commander-Generals of Narcotics (ACGNs).

Marwa had, on Thursday 17 June 2021, approved the promotion of 3,506 officers and men to their next ranks, thus breaking the jinx of long years of stagnation in the agency.

According to him, this followed a report by the harmonisation committee he instituted after assuming leadership of the agency in January 2021, 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 their next ranks, a recommendation that was approved by the Board on Wednesday 16 June 2021.

Addressing the newly promoted officers, Marwa said the exercise was part of efforts to ensure that the nation’s anti-drug war succeeds.

He said: “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.

“I charged you all 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 he said; “graciously approved payment of liabilities and entitlements owed to staff for years and also burial expenses due to families of deceased officers since 2015.”

Marwa also assured officers and men of the agency that their welfare would continue to remain uppermost under his leadership.

A former Military Governor of Akwa Ibom State, who is the 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 event, commended Marwa for restoring the dignity and morale of the workforce through his purposeful and result-oriented leadership of the agency. (Daily Trust)

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