“Nation Needs Citizens With Character, Not Just Soldiers With Guns” — Says Marwa

In an address to fellow military school graduates, NDLEA Chairman Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd.) declared that Nigeria’s future security depends more on building citizens of character than merely building armed forces.

Speaking at the 38th reunion of the Nigerian Military School’s Class of 1982 in Abuja, Marwa, whose class produced two of Nigeria’s current service chiefs, argued that national strength comes from values, not just weaponry.

“Our country today needs more than soldiers with weapons. She needs citizens with character — men and women armed with courage, loyalty, discipline and resilience,” Marwa told assembled alumni who had traveled from across Nigeria and abroad for the event.

He fondly recalled the unique bonding experience of their education, noting: “At NMS, no one asked who your father was, what language you spoke, or what faith you professed. We were bound by brotherhood and a common destiny as Nigerians.”

The reunion saw alumni adopt ten pledges focused on integrity, excellence, and national service. Class President, retired Lieutenant-Commander Jim Bent, described their school as “a crucible where values are etched into our bones,” and called on members to stand up to Nigeria’s current challenges.

Leadership expert Fela Durotoye inspired attendees by referencing Africa’s “Great Generation”—79 young Africans who he said “without firing a shot, toppled colonialism” through sheer conviction in 1945.

Marwa concluded with a sobering warning that extended beyond the military context: “We can have armies and weapons, but if our citizens lack character, discipline, and a sense of duty, our nation remains vulnerable.”