Director Seaports Operation, NDLEA ,
The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has hinted that curtailing the abusive use and trafficking of drugs and its problems requires the collaborative and collective efforts of all and sundry especially.
The agency stated that everyone must all rise in unison to combat the ugly monster of drug demand and supply in Nigeria.
Chairman of the agency, Col.Buba Marwa (rtd) advocate this on Monday in Lagos at a programme put together by the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria. (AMJON), to mark this year’s 2022 annual conference and awards.
Col.Buba Marwa (rtd) who was represented by the Director Seaports Operation, NDLEA , Mrs Omolade Faboyede, urge all stakeholders to work together with the media in furtherance to eradicate the menace and solicit the media not to relent in their effort at creating awareness and educating citizens on the danger of drug abuse in the society.
While Speaking on the topic, “Evolving a drug free society for national development at the occasion, Mrs Omolade affirmed that countries where people engage in the production and use of drugs usually enable the creation of armed groups who in turn create territories outside the domain of effective law enforcement seeking to control the apparatus of legitimate government, thereby posing heinous threats to human lives, national development, and security.
The Agency however solicited for comprehensive drug tests to be carried out on every personnel and workers before boarding ship at berth in all the nation’s seaports and harped on automated rummaging of the ships saying, this is critical in ridding the ship compartments of every trace of drug.
Omolade further lamented that some major drug shipments are usually done through the sea and reiterated that the maritime sector is key towards economic development of the nation , and for Nigeria to achieve the much desired foreign direct investment through a 24 – hour clearance of goods at the ports, the maritime activities must be automated.
She e noted that the sector should therefore be driven by efficiency and effectiveness in her operations.
“The maritime sector by the nature of its operations features prominently in the two major strategic pillars of drug supply and reduction, hence the importance of the sector in our drug control efforts.
“It is unfortunate to note that some major drug shipments are usually done through the sea.
“The personnel working in that sector equally need to be shielded from drug use and dependency for better productivity.
There is therefore a need for the NDLEA and the maritime sector to employ synergistic approach to drug control.
“It is therefore necessary to develop automated systems in the maritime environment that will establish incidences of drug use and aiding of drug importation or exportation.
“For instance, a comprehensive drug tests should be carried out on every personnel boarding our ship. Automated rummaging of the ship is equally critical in ridding the ship compartments of every trace of drug,” the agency states.
