REPORT: MBAISE POLICY ROUNDTABLE (MPR) CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUG ABUSE (MCADA) – NOVEMBER 2021-JULY 2022.
- MPR Campaign Against Drug Abuse (MCADA) in Mbaise was launched in November 2021 with the task of helping create awareness on the growing threat of drug abuse, especially Mkpurummiri, in our communities, which at the time was spreading like a wide fire. Mr Kennedy Onwunali who had just been appointed the Imo State volunteer club Chairman of the Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCANOV), was assigned to lead MCADA.
- According to the communication of his appointment through the MPR Chairman Professor Eddie Oparaoji, Mr Onwunali is expected to be the organization’s incidents reporting desk- to receive reports of known or suspected drug abuse activities; liaison with local and State resources to intervene on actionable drug abuse situations; brief MPR leadership regularly on active and ongoing cases; lead in efforts to create awareness and coordinate intervention resources among leaderships of the Catholic, Anglican and Pentecostal Churches as well as associations of traditional rulers in Mbaise; to expand efforts in awareness creation on the dangers of consuming METH drug. He may also propose to MPR leadership as needed other measures to fight the menace of drug abuse in our community. In accepting the appointment Mr Onwunali vowed :
“I will not disappoint you, MPR and the people of Mbaise in this assignment”.
- This report which was modified to preserve confidentiality of critical sources and methods, is the first debrief on MCADA activities to MPR.
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4 DEVELOPED STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS:
As soon as it was launched, MCADA, quickly went to work and visited the various Area Commands of the Police and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and the partnership with NDLEA led to the first collaboration raid of an illicit drug hide out in Ihitte Afor Ukwu in Ahiazu Mbaise.
5 FACILITATED KINETIC OPERATIONS
- With the help of actionable intelligence, from the community, the aforementioned and once dreaded headquarters of illicit drug activities in Ahiazu Mbaise, was successfully raided; drugs and paraphernalia impounded.
- Thereafter, another transit point between Mbaise and Mbano where Drug Lords hold sway, were successfully dislodged, the kingpin arrested and awaiting trial at the Owerri correctional facility as at the time of this report.
- Consequently, the re-supply of drugs to Mbaise from Mbano halted during the December period and the community celebrated sweet time during the period. This raid was particularly a complex one involving the NDLEA, Civil defense and 211 regiment and four truck loads of law enforcement agents.
- AWARENESS SEMINARS AGAINST ILLICIT DRUG USE
During the time under review, MCADA carried out several aggressive campaigns on social media, newspapers and radio, on the dangers of drug abuse to our people. Seminars at MPR programs or in collaboration with other sister organizations, led by NDLEA Assistant Commandant Mrs Magaret Nwoko and MCADA Chairman Mr Onwunali, were successfully held at Amuzi, Eke Nguru and Eke-Ahiara. Also Public Service Announcement (PSAs) against Mkpurummiri and other dangerous drugs by our members, including Barrister Kanayo O. Kanayo, Dr Chika Okoro, Mr AIC Akwarandu, Youth Ambassador Aj stailes, and Mazi Desmond Ubani were wildly and widely circulated. Other MPR members whose contributions are worth mentioning include Assistant Commissioner of Police Chief Dr Chioma Ajunwa-Opara, Mr Obom Rowland and Prof Oparaoji who delivered an a radio address to the people of Mbaise on World Drug day on June 28.
7 FOCUS FOR REST OF THE YEAR
For the second half of the year, activities around intelligence and information gathering will be enhanced. Plans have been mapped to include working with stakeholders and Multi Agencies to galvanize support and coordinate cooperation with other groups in Mbaise, in organizing drug awareness campaigns through music and other programs in December and new year, and to tap into wider and better resourced NDLEA war against drug abuse (WADA) initiative.
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- CONCLUSION:
It has been estimated by official sources, that the outcomes of the MPR interventions in drug abuse in Mbaise. in terms of economic and human costs run into tens of millions of Naira for which MPR thus strongly commends the generosity and sponsorship of her members who have made this initiative possible. We are delighted we are winning the war against drug abuse. Together, we can do more
