DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY BOSS SEEKS ASSISTANCE ON WAR AGAINST DRUGS

LAGOS - Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Alhaji
Bello Lafiaji has advocated the involvement of all and sundry in the
efforts by the Agency to combat the twin-scourge of drug abuse and illicit
trafficking.

The NDLEA boss who made this call in Lagos while flagging off a week-long
series of activities to mark the year 2003 United Nation's Day against
Drug-Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, said that the greatest tragedy is for
any individual or organization to be indifferent to the ravaging menace of
drugs.

Lafiaji's call for a concerted action is in line with the theme of this
years UN Anti-drug day titled "Lets Talk about Drugs". According to the
Chairman, "talking about drugs is an expression of concern", and that "when
we are all talking about the negative effects of drugs, it goes to show
that we are all concerned and that we have all turned against the
perpetrators of the heinous drug crimes, and before long our talking would
translate into action". "It can be pretty difficult to make the nation free
from drugs unless all work places, institutions of learning, worship
centers, family and traditional institutions begin to speak strongly
against drugs while ensuring that any of its members involved in drugs is
exposed", the Chairman stated further.

The Chairman lists some of the dangers which drugs pose to the public to
include day light armed robberies, cultism, prostitution, spread of AIDS,
high rate of school drop outs, destitution and joblessness. Others are loss
of skilled man power, assassination, holding of hostage in oil producing
areas, economic sabotage and subversion of government policies and
psychotic cases.

Some of the programmes lined up to mark the UN Anti-drug Day are: Youth
forum to dissect the relationship between drugs and HIV/AIDS, Jumma'at and
Church services and an anti-drug enlightenment Seminar for prison officers
and inmates.

The agency in the course of the week-long programme will also take its
anti-drug crusade to the Customs and Clearing agents with the aim of
acquainting them with how drugs are concealed for shipment. Youths,
students and athletes are expected to benefit from a workshop on the
nature, effects and consequences of performance enhancing drugs while there
will be a Drug quiz/debate competition among various schools within the
Federal Capital Territory and other state capitals of the federation.

The programmes would be rounded off on June 26 with public lectures and
closing ceremonies in Abuja, which would be attended by top government
functionaries, the intelligence and diplomatic community.