… As Committee Recommends National Drug Control Commission
Williams Anuku Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has received a report detailing the level of drug abuse in Nigeria and how it can be eliminated.
The survey which was conducted by the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse, PACEDA, confirmed fears by the government that Nigeria had a very strong drug problem that needed to be tackled as a national emergency.
Chairman of the committee, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd) led other members of the committee to submit the report at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday, also advocated the need for the establishment of National Drug Control Commission.
Buhari who alluded to the fact that drug abuse constitutes a menace to the society, said eliminating it would form a critical component of his next level mandate.
“Winning the war becomes one of the critical elements of the Next Level mandate of this administration. As a government, we have the responsibility to ensure the security and well-being of our people.
“Our findings have shown that it is more difficult to bring down crime rate to acceptable levels without clearing our country of substances abuse,” the President said.
Buhari, however said with the enormity of the challenge, the cooperation of all and sundry would be necessary.
He called on all well-meaning Nigerians and international partners to join hands with relevant government agencies in the fight against drug abuse.
While thanking the committee for its timely and diligent prosecution of the assignment, the President assured that the matter was of utmost importance, and the report would be studied along with the recommendations.
Earlier, Marwa while giving an overview of the assignment, said since the committee was inaugurated in December, 2018, it interfaced with a wide spectrum of stakeholders including Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Non-Governmental organisations, Civil Society Organisations, Faith-based Organisations, professional bodies, international partners and members of drug user communities with their parents, teachers and care givers.
He, however, said the key to tackling the menace was a formal launch of a War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) as part of declaration of a state of emergency on the menace.
