… NDLEA Warns
By Michael Nnebife
The Anambra State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mr Daniel Onyishi, has warned that from now to 2030, 40% of Nigeria’s population will be on illicit drugs if urgent collaborative measures by all stakeholders in society is not effectively emplaced.
The NDLEA Commander disclosed this in an event at Nteje in Oyi Local Government Area of the state, recently.
The Commander, who was represented in the event by the Anambra State Public Relations Officer of the agency, Mr Christopher Adabo, appealed to ndi Anambra to take the situation seriously, warning that no one was exempted from the scourge of illicit drugs in society.
Mr Onyishi said, ‘A report has it that 14% of Nigerians were into drugs by the year 2018 and by the year 2030, we’ll have 40% of Nigerians into drugs.’
‘Everybody needs to take this as a serious concern; if you say, it’s a son of Okechukwu that’s into a drugs, not yours; the son of Okechukwu may rape your daughter in school.
‘In the influence of a drug, the son of Okechukwu may rob your house; he may constitute a nuisance to you and entire society,’ the NDLEA chief said.
He however explained that the agency in its effort to nip illicit drugs in the bud, had come up with a State Drug Control Committee with the wife of the state governor as a chairperson and other critical stakeholders such as the commissioner for Local Government, Community and Chieftaincy Matters, the commissioner for Youth Development, among others, as members.
Pointing out that the illicit drugs were produced at the grassroots level, Onyishi further explained that the drug control committee was replicated down to local government and community levels with local government transition committee chairmen and traditional rulers as heads respectively.
Adding that the Nigeria police, presidents general, opinion leaders, women’s and youth leaders of the communities, would be members of the committee in their various localities, the NDLEA Commander expressed optimism that by the time the committee would be inaugurated and begin work in all the communities, the scourge of illicit drugs would be minimized.
He regretted that drug abuse had hindered many youths from achieving their laudable legitimate life ambitions.
Calling on all Ndi Anambra to join hands in the fight against illicit drugs, Onyishi appealed to the Anambra State House of Assembly to come up with a legislation that would mete out severe punishment to any traditional ruler who allowed a producer of illicit drugs to operate in his domain.
