GOVERNOR OBOREVWORI TO DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY ON DRUG ABUSE IN NIGERIA
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has charged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA to declare a state of emergency on substance abuse and illicit drugs trafficking in the country.
Governor Oborevwori gave the charge while playing host to the Assistant Commandant General Narcotics and Director of Administration and Establishment,NDLEA Alhaji Hamisu Lawal who paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Asaba.
The governor noted that the charge had become necessary following the worrisome trend of substance and illicit drugs abuse among youths in the country.
He listed factors responsible for substance and illicit drugs abuse to include poor socio-economic background, bad parenting, family problems, poor academic performance and social pressures.
He said substance abuse and the use of illicit drugs has affected the youths especially those in secondary and tertiary institutions which, he said has made many of them to be unruly and destructive.
Governor Oborevwori who condemned the recent incident that led to the death of a child and injuring of another in Okpanam area by NDLEA officers said everybody must be involved in the fight against illicit drug business.
Earlier, the Assistant Commandant General Narcotics and Director of Administration and Establishment NDLEA, Alhaji Hamisu Lawal who was accompanied by the Delta State Commandant of the Agency, Mr Abubakar Wada, told the governor that they were in his office to condole with him over the death of a two year old child and injuring of his brother at Okpanam.
Alhaji Lawal who said the issue was being handled in line with the best practices added that the Agency was grateful to the state government for its prompt intervention on the issue.
He reiterated the Agency’s commitment towards nipping the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country in the bud.
NIM
Credit: Ejime Udueme.