Marwa seeks traditional rulers’ support to protect girl-child against drug abuse

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has called for stronger protection of the girl-child against the systemic vulnerabilities that expose women and young people to drug abuse, exploitation and other social vices.

Marwa made the appeal on Saturday during the public presentation of “In The Shadow of the Neem Tree”, a book authored by his daughter, Barrister Mariam Marwa-Abdu, in Kaduna.

He stressed that safeguarding the girl-child was critical to protecting families and ensuring national development.

According to him, poverty, abuse and lack of education continue to push many women and youths into drug abuse, insisting that addressing the challenge requires the collective efforts of government, civil society and traditional institutions.

“As the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, I see firsthand every day how systemic vulnerabilities like poverty, abuse and lack of education drive women and youth toward drug abuse and exploitation. Advocacy like Mariam’s is the first line of defence,” he said.

Marwa urged traditional rulers across the country to partner with the NDLEA and other stakeholders in changing harmful cultural practices and promoting the education and empowerment of girls.

“We cannot leave this battle to the government or non-governmental organisations alone. We need the partnership of our revered traditional institutions, led by custodians of culture, to shift the cultural paradigm. We must protect our daughters, educate them and give them the wings to fly,” he added.

The NDLEA boss, while congratulating the author, described the publication as a courageous contribution to the campaign against early marriage and other practices that deny girls their rights and future.

He noted that In The Shadow of the Neem Tree highlights the devastating consequences of child marriage, saying the practice deprives girls of education, good health and the opportunity to realise their full potential.
Marwa also expressed pride in his daughter’s achievement, noting that she had joined her siblings in sustaining a family tradition of authorship.

“To see all four of my eldest children, who are all coincidentally lawyers, pick up the pen to fight societal ills and document human experiences is the greatest legacy a father could ask for. We have become practically a family of authors,” he said.

Speaking at the event, the author and founder of the Women and Children’s Rights and Empowerment Foundation (WCREF), Mariam Marwa-Abdu, described the book as more than fiction, saying it reflects her lifelong commitment to advancing the rights of women and children.

She explained that through WCREF, established in 2011, she has spent more than a decade translating the advocacy reflected in the book into practical interventions aimed at protecting vulnerable women and children.

Also speaking, the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, represented by the Barden Kerarriyan Zazzau and District Head of Basawa, Architect Haruna Abubakar Bamalli, expressed optimism that the book and the discussions it generated would inspire positive social change and contribute to individual and community development.