The Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA), Alhaji Sani Magaji Tambuwal, has commended the National Association of Nigerian Drug Monitoring (NUMDRUM) for the inauguration of its FCT chapter, saying the effort will reduce drug trafficking in the territory.
Speaking while inaugurating the chapter at the National Assembly complex recently, the CAN said, “It is my strong belief that this event will not have come at a better time than now, especially with the ongoing campaign activities for the 2023 general elections around the corner. l believe this is the very period that drug consumption and drug abuse by the teeming youths would be on the increase on a daily basis for obvious reasons.
“To my mind, this event will not only make suggestions or propositions towards minimising drug abuse, consumption and trafficking by the drug pushers or barons and their agents who are dangerously positioned in our communities across the six geopolitics zones of the country, I strongly believe there will be further suggestions on how to reduce the drug demand and trading in dangerous drugs in our communities knowing fully the implications of allowing the drug related scourge to continue unchecked.”
Alhaji Sani Tambuwal, who was represented by Barr Birma Shuaibu Maina at the occasion, also commended the Joint Committees of the Senate and House on Drugs and Narcotics for supporting the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other sister agencies synergising together in tackling drug related problems.
He said, “The National Assembly is always battle ready in this regard. However this can only be achieved by identifying the emerging challenges and ensuring the provision of adequate budgetary allocations to enable those agencies carry out their statutory responsibilities effectively.
“Of equal importance is the amendment of the laws establishing those agencies by plugging the identified loopholes, making adequate punitive provisions to enable our sister agencies do their work.’”
The Clerk to the National Assembly also called for the improvement of drug demand reduction facilities, rehabilitation and counseling centres across the country to tackle the abuse of locally and globally produced hard drugs e.g cannabis, tramadol, codeine, cocaine and heroin, excessive alcohol and mood stabilizers while urging ‘all well meaning Nigerians to join hands with NAMDRUM towards eradicating drug abuse, consumption, trading and trafficking’ assuring that the National Assembly management is ever ready to collaborate with NAMDRUM and other NGOs of like minds that are prepared to eradicate drug abuse and other related vices.
With the CNA in attendance, other eminent personalities and dignitaries that graced the NAMDRUM launching included HRH lgwe Orizu; Dr Christabel Okoye; Alh Mohammed lsa, representing the Minister of Sports and Youth Development; Owelle Sunny Chikwendu; Amb. Mohammed Ahmed, SP Alex Anagu, representing FCT Police Command, Deputy Commandant Chigbo Chile (NDLEA), representatives of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, the Nigerian Correctional Service, the West African Youth Congress, the Umuoji Improvement Union, civil society and youth advocacy groups amongst other participants, the mass media and the general public.
