THE GUARDIAN

Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike, yesterday, declared that Nigeria must address the menace of drug abuse to be able to surmount the current security challenges facing the country.

He stated this when Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig.-Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd.) visited him at Government House, Port Harcourt after his tour of the agency’s commands in Rivers State.

His words: “Nigeria cannot continue to fight insecurity without addressing drug abuse. As government fights insurgency, rape, banditry, kidnapping and other security challenges, we must not ignore drug abuse as a major cause.

“If we succeed in reducing supply of illicit drugs, we would have substantially solved the problem of insecurity in the country.”

He said with Marwa’s personality and antecedents in public service, he would succeed as NDLEA Chairman if the authorities and stakeholders give him the necessary support.

He announced a donation of some vehicles to enhance the operations of the state command of the NDLEA, while also promising to help build a rehabilitation centre for the agency in Port Harcourt.

Speaking earlier, Marwa said he started his tour of NDLEA commands in Rivers because of his affinity to the state having started his military career in Rivers State after graduating from the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) in 1973.

He added that as the Mene Yereba 1 of Ogoni land, he felt at home in Rivers and commended Governor Wike for the job he was doing in the state and his support for the war against drug abuse.

Marwa restated that behind the security challenges facing the country was the problem of drug abuse and as such, he would not spare any effort to fight those involved whether as users, peddlers, traffickers or barons.

He disclosed that although Rivers ranked number 14 on the drug abuse prevalence chart in the country, he asked for more support for the NDLEA to effectively wage the war against drug abuse even in the hideouts of those involved in the illicit trade.

The former Military Administrator of Lagos State, also visited the GOC 6 Division of the Nigeria Army, where he solicited cooperation and support of military authorities for the NDLEA and the war against drug abuse.