By Bayo Bernard

As he gives out his two beautiful daughters Dr. Zainab and Jidda Mohammed in marriage, this weekend in Kano, Muhammed Uba Garba, the Assistant Comptroller General, ACG and Zonal coordinator Zone B, Kaduna Northwest will prove the time-worn anecdote, that you can’t be a successful man except you are a successful father.

For many years the customs’ top notch paid his dues in the NCS without letting his bosses in Abuja down; and as a reward for his dedicated service to his fatherland and mankind, the NCS management also ensured that he was compensated with promotions, as well as moving him from one customs formation to the other, and in such occasions, he never disappointed his superiors who have placed so much confidence in him.

And when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Col. Hamid Ali (rtd) as the Comptroller General of the NCS, the former military administrator of Kaduna state quickly spotted the sterling qualities of the then Assistant Comptroller of Customs.

Since then, the no-nonsense customs’ boss has not stopped instituting him with higher responsibilities, that saw Uba traversed strategic customs formations across the country.

From FOU, Zone A, Ikeja Lagos, to Seme Customs command, and later as Commander, Joint Border Operations Drill, North Central Zone, Sector, 3 in Ilorin, Kwara State, to the NCS headquarters in Abuja, where he held the strategic position as ACG E, I&I,  officers and other stakeholders testified that Muhammed, did not disappoint in terms of carrying out, in strict compliance, the transformation agenda of the CGC in line with President Buhari’s change mantra of making the Service a corrupt free agency, as well as a veritable tool of generating huge revenues into the federation account.

While at the headquarters, he observed that quarter was not being conducted; he also brought to life the monthly CGC and weekly for members which further earned him the admiration of his boss, who did not waste time to send him to Zone B, Kaduna as Coordinator “to put things, which has been in shambles in the zone, in proper manner. That’s what he has been doing since he arrived at his new post, without complaining. Wherever duty calls ACG Mohammed is ready to go”, a top customs’ source told the magazine.

Indeed, it’s not usually easy to combine the very challenging job of a customs’ officer with the ever-demanding home front. That’s where many, who could not cope with multi-tasking official duties with home challenges, failed uncontrollably without redemption; disappointing their loved ones and those who look up to them for direction.

That, obviously, is not the case with ACG Muhammed who has shown himself to be a shining example as a successful officer, and a proud father and husband in the home front. The lanky officer has ensured that he gave unto Cesar what rightly belonged to Cesar, by creating a balance in his role as a public servant and as a loving patriarch to his family.

Zainab and Jidda, whose hands will be given in marriage to their heartthrobs, this weekend can testify to the father figure ACG Muhammed has played in their lives. Apart from giving them the best education (both studied at the prestigious University of Science and Technology Cairo, Egypt) Mohammed ensured that all his children never lacked good moral upbringing, to fulfil the popular saying, that ‘train your child in the way he/she should go so that she/ he will not depart from it.”

ACG Mohammed is indeed, a lucky man, even though he has always adduced his success to God, the giver of life and the only One who can lift a nobody to become somebody. But the compelling success story of Mohammed as an officer and a family man will not be complete without the rank and file and superior customs officers who at every point in his career cooperated with him, ensuring that he did not fall into the booby trap of his traducers, and making sure that the proverbial banana peel did not end his career prematurely.

Mohammed understands that success begets success, and because a single tree does not make a forest, he has also ensured that people who aspire to climb the ladder of success are assisted to achieve their dreams.

These men and women, top officers, rank and file of the NCS, crème of the Nigerian society are the ones that will storm Kano this weekend to celebrate ACG Mohammed as a doting father of two beautiful daughters who will be joined with their future husbands. May the Almighty God bless the new couples.