NDLEA TO INTENSIFY

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) through its
Chairman, Ahmadu Giade reassured Nigerians that the anti-narcotic
campaign will be vigorously pursued this New Year so as to enlist the
support of all stakeholders. The NDLEA boss in a signed statement
made available to Leadership promised Nigerians a peaceful and
progressive year. He noted that the country will continue to maintain
a frontline role in the quest for a drug free society for all to
actualise their dreams and aspirations.

"Nigeria is a land of opportunities. We are proud of our human and
natural endowment. Nothing will restrain us from attaining our
individual and collective goals, not even illicit drug activities. As
a country, we have a reputation for playing a key role in drug
control and we are going to maintain that position. We appreciate
the crucial role of drug control in national security and we shall
make the needed sacrifice towards ensuring a drug free Nigeria "
Giade stated..

While calling on parents to pay quality attention to the upbringing
of their children and wards the NDLEA boss said that anti-drug
enlightenment must begin at the family level. "I call on parents to
closely supervise their children. It is not enough to pay school
fees; they should find time and visit them at schools. Once in a
while, enter into their rooms and see what they do when they are
alone. Our target this year is to reach out to as many families as
possible. We want the anti-drug crusade to start from the family
level" he stressed..

The root cause of drug trafficking is greed and the desire to get
rich quick. This according to Giade needs to be tackled through
series of seminars and workshops that will be organised in each State
of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja
. "We need to propagate our rich cultural and value system. The
youths must understand the fact that nothing compares to hard-work
and contentment. A good name is better than many riches. We are
therefore making school children and young school graduates our
target because we want to inculcate these values in them early enough
so that it will become their way of life" the NDLEA boss declared.

He expressed optimism that the teaching of drug education in schools
will be vigorously pursued this year for the enlightenment campaign
to have an enduring impact. He pointed out that the Agency is not
about arrest and prosecution alone. According to Giade, "the Agency
has a mandate to suppress illicit demand for narcotic drugs. There is
a specialised directorate known as Drug Demand Reduction Directorate
that is charged with drug abuse preventive education, treatment and
rehabilitation as well as conduct of research and stakeholder liaison
coordination".