Dr Baba Mohammed: DG NATCOM/ NATFORCE, an indefatigable and fine Public Servant

The new Director General of National Commission for The Control, Prohibition of Illegal Importation and Possession of Small Arms, Light Weapons and Ammunitions, NATCOM/NATFORCE, is a familiar name in his home State of Kogi, Nigeria at large, as well as known in different continents of the world.

Baba Mohammed was a young aspiring individual beginning from his early days as a student both as the undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

His early education has contributed in shaping his life adventure both in the civil service, Public Service and now as head of Federal Government Agency.

Mohammed’s roles as one of the founding fathers of Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), in the Presidency, a body set up to access the perfomance of public properties, utilities, and possibly privatise and or dispose them in the public interest, assets of the federal government in the early days of Nigeria’s return to democratic practice in 1999.

His giant efforts and contributions towards resolving the issue of unprofitable assets and repositioning others made him a shining example during his stint as one of the top notchers in the Agency.

It was during his time, that many assets lying down wastefully, were either redirected or disposed in line with the new spirit of BPE.

This development contributed in no small measure, that reverted the lost glory of the country’s numerous assets into profitable ventures.

Armed with high profile academic and public records, Dr Baba Mohammed who hailed from Kogi state studied both at Bayero University Kano and University of Jos where he bagged both his graduate and post graduate certificate with distinct perfomance.

His further studies outside the shores of Nigeria took him to many countries, among them is the Stanford School of Business in the United States, with a professional qualification as Fellow of Chartered National Accountant of Nigeria (FCNA).

This is in addition to be a member of PLSC 20 of the prestigious National Institute For Policy and Strategic Studies In Kuru near Jos, where the ‘who is who’ in Nigeria undergoes programmes and trainings, to make them prepared for the leadership position in Nigeria and out of the country.

Having attended the PLSC 20 of NIPSS, it had placed Baba Mohammed as a readily available personalty with available leadership potentials to shore up the ship of leadership in Nigeria, now and in the nearest future.

Baba Mohammed is a community leader and title holder of high repute as Madakin of Ankpa kingdom in Ejilogu.

His Community Service, selfless and social services has earned him a high place both in his immediate community of Ankpa, Igala land, Kogi and Nigeria at large.

He had been at the forefront of communal efforts and services to both Igala and other extended communities through employment, empowerment, scholarships, designed skill acquisition programmes, capacity building and other life touching efforts that had won him many awards.

His new strides will bring more development, both human and capital as well as securtiy of lives and properties in the already threatened home State of Kogi, North Central, and Nigeria at large.

His ascension, appointment as the new DG NATCOM/ NATFORCE will not only secure and protect the proliferation of arms and ammunitions, but addresses the incidence of kidnappings, banditry, thuggery, hooliganism and other social vices that is gradually becoming a norm, with the adequate control of arms and weapons in every nooks and crannies of the country.

With this appointment of a well trained public officer as the new Director General, the onus lies with the Federal and State Government to provide necessary supports interms of finance, logistics and other support to curb the proliferation of arms and ammunitions in Nigeria.

Dr Baba’s appointment is a right step in the right direction, that will reposition the age long Commission into meeting its aspirations.

Abubakar Yusuf, a Publoc.Affairs analyst writes from Abuja