In the words of Paulo Ndikere, the man that leaves a stage when the ovation is loud is the one who’s name can never be forgotten in the anal of history. Consequently, it behooves me to write this piece on the historical reign of Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, the septuagenarian chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Ahmadu Giade is an astute investigator and seasoned administrator with an enviable leadership clout in crime control. He has positively influenced the Nigerian security landscape through a fine blend of professionalism, character, integrity and best practice. He is a strong advocate of stiffer penalty for drug culprits in terms of longer jail terms and forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth. The NDLEA boss has also spearheaded the unity of drug law enforcement agencies in the West Africa sub region.
Giade began his security career in 1963 when he enlisted into the Nigeria Police College Kaduna. He had series of local and international training programmes such as Anti Fraud Course, Lagos 1968, and Prosecution Course Kaduna 1969. In 1989 and 1993, he distinguished himself at both the Intermediate and Senior Command training programmes at the Police Staff College, Jos. In 1997, he participated in the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) Conference Lyon, France on Advanced Fee Fraud as well as the Fifteenth International Symposium on Economic Crime, Jesus College Cambridge. The following year, he was also in Lyon France for International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) Conference on Forgery of National Currencies.
He was appointed Aide-De-Camp (ADC) to Senator Joseph Wayas, Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1982. Giade’s rising profile also saw him holding among other positions the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Tin Can Island Port and Isokoko Police Station Lagos. He served as an Assistant Commissioner of Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Rivers State Command in 1989. In 1993, he held a similar position at the Katsina State Police Command before his transfer to the Special Fraud Unit, Force Criminal Investigation Department Lagos. Giade was a member, Federal Government Task Force on the Reorganization of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 1994.
In 1999, he retired from the Nigeria Police Force as a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). In November, 2005 he was appointed the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA; Giade has broadened the frontiers of drug control with unprecedented arrests, seizures and convictions. Some of his unique selling points include zero tolerance for corruption, discipline and hard-work. Under Giade as NDLEA’s helmsman, Nigeria was deleted from the Drug Watch List by the United Nations (UN).
However, as posited by Paulo Ndikere, the best thing for a man that has accumulated much expertise and skills, served his people meritoriously, tremendously and patriotically is to leave when the ovation is loud. At over 74 years of age, it is time for Giade to leave. He deserves a rest. Giade’s tenure will lapse on the 30th of November although multiple reports have it that he has been making desperate moves in Aso Rock for his tenure to be renewed for another four years, using some powerful elements in Aso Rock.
More also, It is worth mentioning in this piece that constitutionally, Giade did not deserve to be appointed as the NDLEA Chairman in the first place because he retired as a Deputy Commissioner of Police but the NDLEA act 1990 stipulates that the position of the NDLEA Chairman should be held by a Retired Commissioner of Police but Giade has done well.
As Giade’s tenure ends in two weeks time, I wish him long live in good health.
Garba Ahmed, a social critic, writes from Abuja, Nigeria.
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