President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has implored heads of national drug law enforcement agencies in Africa to renew the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in their respective countries.
The president made the call Tuesday at the 31st meeting of the Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLAF) in Abuja.
He warned that the African continent would remain in chains till it breaks free from the shackles of the criminal enterprises of drug barons and syndicates of illicit drugs.
“If we don’t dismantle the criminal enterprises that threaten our future and build a brighter tomorrow for all Africans, we will remain in chains in a diseased and amoral world, as will our children and their children,” he told the anti-narcotics agencies’ chiefs.
In his keynote address titled, ‘Rising Above the Drug Threat’, Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event, said Africa was “at the mercy of a threat that knows neither race nor geography, neither gender nor social class.”
He enjoined the heads of drug law enforcement agencies to consider the conference in Abuja as a ray of hope and a catalyst for positive change across the continent.
The president also thanked them for their sacrifices in ensuring a world that is free of illicit drugs.
“This threat has crossed borders and destroyed societies and dreams. Without the moral commitment of the men and women in this room, this threat would have left cities, countries, and even civilizations erased. So, I must commend you for your sacrifices in the bids to keep our world drug-free, sane and safe.
“This conference emphasizes your investment across borders to protect us from the devastations of drugs, a threat that only submits to the enforcement of the law.
“Therefore, we are grateful to HONLAF and its partners, notably the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, for creating this avenue, for offering intelligence and drug law enforcement officials a grand opportunity to compare notes, collaborate, and build networks that would be several steps ahead of the criminal network of drug transnational organizations,” he said.
The president called for strong partnerships among nations in curbing the menace, in order to guarantee peaceful and free societies around the world.
“Operational partnerships and cooperation to ensure that the outcome of these four days of deliberation will advance public safety and the emergence of drug-free African communities. Our stance has always been our proactive actions to prevent any individual or group from turning our countries into a mine field of drug trafficking.
“We must prioritize prevention, education and rehabilitation to empower our youth with knowledge and opportunities. We must scare them away from the treacherous path of drug abuse and trafficking and protect our economy form the consequences of their actions,” he said.
Tinubu said in the last couple of decades, criminal organisations had made frantic efforts to breach the security measures in African countries, all in a bid to pollute the minds of their citizens, adding however that the anti-narcotics agencies have proven to be a thorn in their flesh.
The president, who doubles as the chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said “while it’s a compliment that drug-law enforcement organizations are a threat to their criminal empires, their desperation must never be taken for granted.
“Without you as gatekeepers of healthy nations, humanity as we know it would have long been perverted. So, on behalf of the world, I say: thank you, thank you to all of you who have kept us from being polluted and destroyed.
“For us, the commitment to the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse is not just a matter of policy; it is a moral imperative. We recognize that a population at war with drugs is not a dividend but a liability. We believe that the future of our youth, the strength of our institutions, and the well-being of our communities depend on our ability to eradicate this threat,” he said.
The President said hosting of the HONLAF conference by Nigeria underscores the commitment of the Nigerian government to the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
“The choice of Nigeria for this gathering I believe is a profound recognition of the campaign and fight against illicit drugs in Nigeria as made by our lead agency, the National drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
“We are hosting the 31st HOLAF meeting here to reassure you of our promise to participate in building a world not threatened by the infiltration of illicit drugs,” he said.
NDLEA Chair remarks
In his remarks, Chairman of NDLEA, retired Brigadier-General Buba Marwa, said the agency would continue to fight the menace of drug trafficking to rid the society of criminals.
He said the stakeholders’ commitment to addressing the world’s drug problem, noting that Nigeria would continue to uphold the objectives of multilateral organisations dedicated to combating drug trafficking and related crimes.
He said the danger of organized crime around the world must be controlled through collaboration, stressing that world’s drug problem cannot be effectively tackled by individual entities.
