It is often difficult for a prophet to be honoured by his people. This is not so with General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) who by dint of hard work walked to become an icon whose footprints in the military service have continued to awe the nation and the world in general. In attesting to the excellence of his 37 years of service to his nation, Agwai’s trajectory is more of an inspiring story that should best be told in a fabled narration.
Born for service
Born on 8th November, 1948 in Kaduna, to the family of a police constable, Agwai and Shera Agwai from Gidan Mana in Kachia Local Government Area, of present day Kaduna state, young Martin completed his primary education at the Native Authority School in Jaban Kogo, and later gained admission to the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) School, in Kurmin Musa.
After graduating from the Nigerian Command and Staff College, British Army Staff College, Camberley, and the United States Army Armor School, among others, where he obtained a Post-graduate diploma in Public Administration from the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON and proceeded to the National Defence University (NDU), Washington DC, where he acquired Masters of Science in National Resource Strategy. He would cap his academic brilliance when he won the Ambassador’s Award for Excellence in research and writing, thus making him the first foreigner to win such an award.
After being commissioned into the Nigerian Armed Forces in 1972; he held several positions that included: Chief of Training and Operations of the Nigerian Armed Forces; Director of Military Training at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna and the Nigerian Military Adviser at Harare where he oversaw the entire Southern Africa between 1993 and 1996. He was a Directing Staff and Chief Instructor at the Command and Staff College Jaji – Kaduna, Nigeria. He was the Deputy Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) from November 2000 to November 2002. Before becoming the Chief of Army Staff he served as the Deputy Military Adviser at United Nations Headquarters, New York. He was also appointed as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Nigerian Armed Forces from 1st June 2006 and retired formally in November 2009.
Honour from alma mater
Recently, Agwai was conferred with a honourary doctorate degree by the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. The honourary degree was in recognition of his matchless performance that culminated into his meteoric rise to the peak of military career. For a consummate military officer who was deployed to Darfur to bring peace to a people that were no stranger to wars and conflicts, Agwai’s roles proved a turning point in the life of the then newly independently country as the former Chief of Army Staff deployed all his strategies in persuading all groups in the conflict to sheathe their swords.
Accepting the doctorate degree from the NDA, Agwai notes, “It is with immense pride and a sense of great responsibility that I accept the Doctor of Military Science (Honoris Causa) award from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the NDA for recognizing my contributions and achievements in the fields of both military service and academia. This award is a testament to the enduring values of dedication, excellence, and service to our great nation, Nigeria. NDA is a prestigious institution that has produced some of the finest military officers in Nigeria and beyond, from its humble beginning in 1964, it has evolved into a world-class institution that provides cutting-edge military training.
Describing the history of the Academy as “a tapestry woven with the sacrifices and dedication of countless individuals who have passed through its hallowed halls,” the former COAS recalled that “the NDA has consistently played a pivotal role in producing military leaders who have defended our borders, maintained peace, and contributed to regional and global security efforts. Graduates/commissioned officers of the NDA, over the years, stand as living testaments to the institution’s excellence. These officers/graduates have gone on to achieve remarkable feats in various fields, both within and outside the military. They have excelled not only as soldiers but also as statesmen, scholars, and leaders in diverse sectors of society”.
Looking back to the past, Agwai recalls: “My colleagues and I graduated from this Academy 51 years ago. We are proud of the NDA dream that recognised hard-work and excellence while promoting equality, inclusivity, and fairness, thus allowing most of us who hailed from remote villages and humble backgrounds to rise high in the Nigerian Armed Forces. It was through the Academy’s ability to guide and mould its Cadets, which enabled me to become the best graduating Cadet, winning the Sword-of-Honour and the Gold Medal in 1972. Building on the hard-work, high standards, values and discipline that we learned from this Academy I was able to successfully serve at home and abroad becoming the Chief of Army Staff in 2003 and Chief of Defence Staff in 2006, Deputy Military Adviser, at the United Nations HQ, New York and Hybrid Force Commander in Darfur, Sudan in 2007”.
It’s incontrovertible that Agwai ascended to the peak of his career and returned with laurels. His competence won him awards both inside and outside Nigeria. However, he has a special feeling for the honourary doctorate degree awarded to him by the NDA, his alma mater. In his words: “The NDA award remains the most cherished as it is an endorsement and acceptance of my footprints in the military where I served for 37 years. It is sad that prophets have no honour at home; but my alma mater has proven that wrong and I am deeply appreciative of their act of honouring me”.
Finishing strong!
Looking at the past, what does he remember in his early years as a young military officer? He recalls that he was fortunate to work with former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, then a Major, who greatly inspired and exposed him to the challenges of rising against the odds.
“I worked with General Ibrahim B. Babangida who then was my Brigade commander in my early years in the military. He exposed me to the rigours and challenges of learning the ropes that helped me later in life in my career progression. Through my working relationship with him, I, then a captain, came in contact with the then Chief of Army Staff, General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (retd). Immediately after my passing out parade in the NDA, the first person I worked with was Ibrahim Salihu who later became Chief of Army Staff. I was really fortunate to work with fine military officers who assisted me tremendously”, he said.
Considering the insecurity ripping across the nation, what advice does he have for the President Tinubu-led administration?
“The current insecurity does not need a military solution; what the government should do now is to address factors behind forces of insecurity. Resolving the monsters of insecurity is only possible if and when the government deploys the political will to resolve all the issues. For now, the military can only try to bring the problem under control, but insecurity will continue to persist until something is done to resolve the issues that have brought about the problems.
