By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has inaugurated a 26-member Drug Control Committee to combat drug abuse in line with the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2015–2019.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folashade Arike Ayoade, Ph.D, said the growing menace of illicit drugs necessitated urgent action.
“We all know the effects of hard drugs in our society. This committee is set up to drastically reduce the sale, distribution, and use of illicit substances in Kogi State. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration is determined to ensure the state is not a safe haven for drug dealers or users,” she stated.
She urged the State Drug Control Committee (SDCC) to work as a team and hold regular engagements, stressing that their success would help create a safer and more orderly society.
The committee includes representatives from the NDLEA, Ministries of Health, Education, Information and Communications, Youth and Sports, Women Affairs, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs, as well as traditional rulers, local government chairmen, youth associations, pharmaceutical bodies, NGOs, CSOs, and faith-based organisations.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Kogi NDLEA Commander Umar Mustapha Yahuza, who co-chairs the SDCC with the Governor’s wife, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo, pledged the team’s commitment to work round the clock to meet the objectives of the NDCMP.
