Da Jacob Gyang Buba was born on the 10th of October, 1951 to the Lo-Wet family of Lo Du in Madu village of Du District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

He is the first son of his father, Da Buba Dung Bot and Ngo Kaneng Buba all of blessed memory. He started his formal education at SUM elementary school Chwelnyap in Jos between 1960 and 1963 and completed his elementary education at Baptist Day school, Jos. His leadership qualities were cited from the very beginning as he was appointed class monitor while in Baptist Day Primary School.

He sat for and passed the common entrance examination and interview into one of the few Secondary Schools then in the Jos Division, the Provincial Secondary School, Kuru, now the prestigious Government Secondary School Kuru where he was between 1967 and 1971. While in Kuru, his uncommon leadership trait came to light and was elected President Berom Students Association in addition to his abundant sporting engagements which enabled him to represent the school and the then Benue Plateau State in athletics and basketball which became his lifelong passion.

After he left Kuru in 1971, he worked briefly as a clerk in the Federal Pay Office Jos from where he proceeded to the institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he successfully earned a Diploma in Banking.

His glorious career with the Nigeria Customs Service began on the 8th August 1975, as an Assistant Preventive Superintendent. He attended many courses in his early years in the Customs, including the Customs Superintendent Training School, the Senior Basic Course at the Police College Lagos, and the Customs Revenue Course at Customs Training College, Lagos in 1983.

All these was to prepare him for greater responsibilities in the Nigeria Customs Service which experience started with his posting to Borno State Command in 1976. This Command had control over the entire present North East geographical Zone. Over the years he served in Sokoto, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos Apapa Port and many other Commands – between 1976 and 1999 when he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Comptroller General of Customs and posted to the Service Head Quarters in Abuja to take charge of Administration. It was from this rank and position that His Majesty, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, CON was appointed Comptroller General of Customs in the year 2004 with a clear mandate of undertaking holistic reforms of the service in line with international best practices.

As part of these reforms, the Nigeria Customs Service adopted the ECOWAS Common External Tariff, computerization of the service processes, installation of scanners in the Ports and some major Border and Airports Commands and a holistic review of the Customs and Excise Management Act, 1958 as amended along with the various Customs Notices. He retired in 2008.

In his youthful days, Da Jacob Gyang Buba was also an active sports man and later a sports administrator as a member of the Nigeria Basketball Federation from 1984 which he eventually headed as the President between 1999 – 2008. Working with other members of the Federation over these years, Nigeria was able to win laurels at the various categories and dominated particularly the Youth and Female Africa Championships and also qualified for World Championship in all categories.

Da Jacob Gyang Buba is a Christian of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church and had served on the Board of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.

Upon the demise of His predecessor, Da Victor Dung Pam in 2009, the processes for the selection of a new person to occupy the revered stool of Gbong Gwom Jos, was put in motion which eventually saw to the selection of His Majesty Da Jacob Gyang Buba, CON as the Gbong Gwom Jos, by the King makers in accordance with the Customs and Traditions of the Berom Nation. As Gbong Gwom Jos, He is the President of the Jos Joint Traditional Council and also Chairman of the Plateau State Council of Chiefs.

In recognition of his contributions to national development, he was bestowed with the national Honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger, Con. For the second time, Da Jacob Gyang Buba is the Chancellor Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, a keen sportsman and also loves reading and travelling. He is happily married to Ngo Rakiya Gyang Buba and are blessed with many children and grand-children.

count | 728

At 70: What You Need to Know About His Majesty Da Jacob Gyang Buba, CON the Gbong Gwom Jos