Drug use prevalence in Nigeria, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, was nearly 15 per cent, almost three times higher than the global average. The NDLEA also disclosed that 10.6 million Nigerians used cannabis in the past year.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, this week, said that prevention of the transmission of drugs must be prioritised by the global community in order to address organised crimes.
The President spoke at the opening session of the 31st meeting of the Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLAF).
The President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, 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 minefield of drug trafficking,” he said. “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 from the consequences of their actions.”
Of course, it is sad that the burden of drug abuse is increasing and becoming endemic in Nigeria. It is emerging as a public health problem of serious concern despite the international and regional laws and federal laws, policies and agencies established by the government to prevent the menace.
Measures to prevent the growing burden include understanding and identifying the root and extent of the burden to provide targeted intervention.
Thus, according to the President, the hosting of the HONLAF conference by Nigeria underscores the commitment of the Nigerian government to the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
Still, the warnings issued by foreign and local security experts on Nigeria’s gravitation towards becoming a major transnational drugs hub should no longer be ignored.
Already, the country is experiencing unprecedented insecurity with banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, ethnic violence and cultism now the order of the day.
The President should, therefore, treat this challenge as another national emergency and tackle it aggressively. Drug trafficking, says the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, is powered by organised crime gangs that also engage in other serious crimes such as arms trafficking, modern slavery, financing terrorism and money laundering.
Nigerians should tremble because in addition, says the NCA: “There is also corruption at every stage of the drug supply chain, including through the use of corrupt port and airport officials.” In a country with record-shattering levels of corruption, terrorism and compromised state institutions and officials, the warnings become strident alarms.
Hence, the Tinubu-led administration should mobilise and lead state and local governments, and foreign and domestic partners in a programme that will be designed to vigorously fight the drug menace in Nigeria.
No doubt, Nigeria’s weak institutions and ingrained corruption fuel the problem. Drug barons and cartels often escape the net, unlike low-level couriers. The Tinubu-led administration must, therefore, take urgent measures to prevent the country from becoming a ‘narco-state’ like Colombia where drug cartels wield enormous political influence, corrupt the law enforcement and judicial system, and rival the state in the possession and application of the instruments of violence.
There should be a reinvigorated national anti-drug strategy. The NDLEA should be revitalised, and well-funded and its personnel motivated, trained and retrained and corrupt security personnel should be identified, flushed out and prosecuted.
A national programme involving the three tiers of government, traditional institutions, civil society groups and student groups should be established by the government to champion the fight against the drug menace.
This administration should treat drug abuse as a crime and health issue, and it should encourage the states and local governments to establish partnerships with communities, NGOs, schools, youth and faith-based organisations to, eventually, run outreach and rehabilitation programmes.
Sadly, but true, the situation in Nigeria is getting worse and the government should, therefore, respond with all the measures needed to curb this menace.
Thankfully, the President called on heads of national drug law enforcement agencies in Africa to renew their fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in their country.
Rightly, the President 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 because if Africa fails to dismantle the criminal enterprises that threaten its future and build a brighter tomorrow for all Africans, the continent and its people “will remain in chains in a diseased and amoral world, as will our children and their children.”
Thankfully too, in his remarks, the chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retired), said that the agency would continue to fight the menace of drug trafficking to rid the society of criminals even as he emphasised that the danger of organised crime around the world must be controlled through collaboration because drug-related problems cannot be effectively tackled by countries individually.
How Shettima perceives power
Vice President Kashim Shettima said that the impacts of the present administration on the lives of Nigerians will define its legacy.
Shettima said this when he hosted some members of the University of Ibadan alumni and the 1989/1990 set of the National Youth Service Corps whom he served with in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State.
He said that given the expectations of Nigerians and the high hopes the world places on Nigeria, the Tinubu-led administration would ensure the country’s fortune gets massively boosted.
He said the administration’s impact would hugely be its legacy, hence, the commitment of the government towards improving the livelihood of Nigerians.
Of course, it is the wish of all Nigerians, as well, that this administration will make a positive difference in their lives because, sadly, ever since Nigeria attained independence in 1960, it has been challenged with and by diverse degrees of insecurity, violence, insurgence, religious intolerance and, chiefly, the corruption that is perpetrated by especially leaders that have left the people pauperized and languishing in poverty and squalor.
At its inception, Nigeria offered many promises for its people and Africans as well but after more than 60 years of statehood, it remains characterised by so many irregularities and anomalies and is a third-world country.
Yet, Nigeria is, largely, endowed with natural resources. Sadly, while those in public offices continue to mismanage the country, loot, embezzle, and or misappropriate the public treasury to satisfy their selfish desires, the masses are there on the streets and or at the grassroots suffering and sorrowing with tears.
In the country, today, there are only a few good roads, no stable or regular power supply, and no adequate or quality health and housing facilities. Poverty and corruption are at all times high and for the common man in sight, there seems to be no hope for a better tomorrow.
The grand outcome of these is that there is little national development, bountiful feelings of insecurity, intolerance, crises and even insurgency in Nigeria.
Of course, it is heartwarming to understand how the Vice President perceives power and he intends to use it to better the lives of the people. He said: “Asiwaju and I are occupying the prime positions in this country, not because of our intellectual acumen or political sagacity, but purely by the grace of God… It is a gift from God and a call to serve humanity for a very short period and the impact we make in the lives of our people will determine our positions here and in the hereafter. So, to me, it is a humbling experience. It is an opportunity to add value to a great nation like ours.”
