Benue State Governor, Right Honourable Gabriel Torwua Suswam has commissioned the State Command office complex of the anti-drug Agency renovated by the State government. The Governor and Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade also led other stakeholders in the public destruction of 4,730.085kg of cannabis in Makurdi, the Benue State Capital.
Suswam said that the State Government renovated the dilapidated office to provide a befitting work environment for an effective war on narcotics. “ We must stem the drift of youths in drug abuse because it is depleting our farming population. The link between drug control and a secured society is very crucial that the responsibility should not be left to the NDLEA alone. The federal government and relevant authorities must see to the proper funding of the NDLEA” Suswam stated.
The NDLEA boss who was overwhelmed by the new face of the renovated office thanked the governor for his intervention. “Let me express my heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency, Governor Suswam for his sterling role in the drug war. The high level support the Agency enjoys from the State is nonpareil and commendable. Providing a suitable work environment for the officers will further enhance their capacity”.
Giade urged other governors to partner with the Agency because the NDLEA cannot win the battle alone. He stressed the importance of surveillance aircrafts to effectively monitor cannabis cultivation in the country. According to Giade,“if drug syndicates are adamant, we must sustain our counter measures at all times. The Agency requires surveillance aircrafts to halt cannabis cultivation”.
Giade noted that Benue State is known as the food basket of the nation but some few criminally minded persons are diverting arable land into cannabis cultivation. “The Agency will resist any attempt to derail the enviable agricultural status of the State. The Agency looks forward to the acquisition of surveillance aircrafts to detect cannabis plantations in virgin forests across the country”.
NDLEA Benue State Commander, Mrs Chinyere Obijuru in her welcome address stated that the command is saddled with enormous responsibility of controlling the huge appetite of youths in the State for illicit drugs. According to Obijuru, “a major drug challenge for the Agency in the State is how to control the huge appetite for the consumption of cannabis and alcohol by the teeming youth population. The renovated office will encourage us to work harder”.
Illicit drug control programmes are significant to avert damage to the image of the country, prevent food insecurity, unemployment, poor health conditions resulting from drug use, school dropout, broken marriages, laundering of proceeds of drug sales, violent crimes, general insecurity as well as loss of lives and property.
In line with the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP), the Agency promised to engage stakeholders particularly the judiciary in drug control programmes geared towards the enforcement of stipulated punishment as contained in the NDLEA Act. It however warned the general public that unlawful possession of narcotics attracts 15 years minimum imprisonment.
Another strategy to reduce the drug problem is to improve capacity in the area of drug demand reduction. “We hope to intensify advocacy programmes aimed at addressing predisposing factors like ignorance, greed and peer influence among others. Our target groups include school students, commercial transport workers, unemployed youths and farmers association” the NDLEA boss stressed.
Ofoyeju Mitchell
Head, Public Affairs
