Buhari, NDLEA and drug abuse
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is the Agency shouldered with the responsibility for controlling the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, trafficking and consumption of hard drugs. It was established by Decree Number 48 of January 1990 during the administration of former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. Since it is inception, the agency had recorded […]
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is the Agency shouldered with the responsibility for controlling the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, trafficking and consumption of hard drugs. It was established by Decree Number 48 of January 1990 during the administration of former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
Since it is inception, the agency had recorded tremendous successes, but with the return of democratic rule in 1999, the performance of NDLEA began to wane probably due to poor funding, lack of equipment, laboratories and inadequate staffing. This unwholesome development has reversed the good fortunes of the agency which led to pervasive spread of drug trafficking and consumption in all parts of the country.
For instance, findings at the agency indicate that there are only five thousand personnel with more than two third of this number manning International airports, seaports, inland ports and borders across the country thus leaving the state Commands grossly understaffed. The hitherto ubiquitous surveillance squads that used to mount check points at strategic locations are quite few barely enough to checkmate the activities of drug Caesars. The agency also lacks modern drug-detecting equipment and drug-testing laboratories that would facilitate easy analysis of suspected drugs and quick prosecution of offenders. The few Patrol Vehicles with which the officials chase drug couriers have all broken down without replacement.
Given the current deplorable condition of this very important Agency, I doubt if it can execute its mandate effectively. Therefore I appeal to President Muhammad Buhari to empower the Agency through regular recruitment of staff, providing adequate funding, procuring most modern equipment and handsome remuneration for personnel so that Nigeria can win the war on drug abuse which has become a national malaise.
It would be recalled that during President Muhammadu Buhari’s Inaugural Speech on 29 May, 2015 he promised to fight the menace of illicit drug activities in the country. But despite this promise more than three years ago, we did not see any change in the fight against drug related crimes until the BBC Investigative Report on drug abuse in Nigeria which spurred the administration to ban the production and consumption of codeine and tramadol.
The BBC Africa Report says that “ Many Nigerian youths are getting alarmingly addicted to cough syrup with codeine; a medicine that has become a street drug , a sweet strawberry taste that makes one high. The report discovered that codeine addiction is more rampant among the youths in the northern part of the country” where “It is not hard to find Nigeria’s boys getting their syrups high. It is not hard to get Nigeria’s syrup girls either. Even the religious women drink it”. In the light of the above findings, it has been observed that over two million of codein bottles are consumed daily, only between Kano and Jigawa State respectively.
It is gratifying to note that President Buhari has upped the ante on the war on drug abuse with the inauguration of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Drug Abuse under the chairmanship of former military administrator of Borno and Lagos States, Retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa with the Wives of the President and the Vice President Hajiya Aisha Buhari and Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo respectively as members of the high-powered advisory body. The President had during the inauguration asked members to work hand in hand with wives of the governors who have also been in the vanguard of the war on drug abuse.
Haruna Hassan, Funtua