The Federal Government has attributed the successes recorded in the war against terrorism and banditry in the country to the successes achieved by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) in the fight against drug abuse.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Gida Mustapha stated this during the presentation of an award of excellence to the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), General Muhammadu Buba Marwa (Retd) by the Adamawa Honors Society on Tuesday at The Fombina Ambassadors’ Hotel Yola, Adamawa State.
Mustapha who was the special guest of honour, represented by the Vice Chancellor, Base University, Abuja Professor Tahir Mamman explained that the Government of Nigeria was satisfied with the dynamism, creativity, and innovation brought to the agency by General Buba Marwa and the war against drug abuse in the country since his appointment.
“We also know the links between drugs and criminality in the country, terrorism, and banditry-drugs are the oxygen which fuels their activities, so the government sees the successes in the drug war as part of the successes being registered in the war against terrorism and banditry in the country.
“It is the government’s resolve to continue to support NDLEA in all its needs to continue to achieve what is being achieved at the moment including support to welfare of staff, support that will ensure security and safety of the operatives and all those are in charge of this major national institution,” SGF said.
Responding, the recipient who is the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, retired General Muhammadu Buba Marwa noted that drug scourge is a major challenge in Nigeria, as it is prevalent among youths, families, and communities.
He charged parents to take responsibility for ensuring the proper upbringing of their children so they become responsible members of society.
“Drugs do not discriminate between religion, tribe or gender, it is all-encompassing. it also promotes criminalities, so the Boko Haram insurgents, the terrorists, the bandits, kidnappers all of these criminals depend on drugs, and for these reasons that NDLEA has gone to make seizures, arrests, and due legal processes to deny access and availability of drugs across the length and breadth of the country,
“I would like to appeal to parents to stand up as parents and play the correct role of parenting for our children, today parents are afraid of their children instead of the order way round, why because we have and continue to have incidents of children who are on drugs killing their parents” he added.
Marwa announced that by next year the agency will provide inexpensive drug testing kits, so that parents who have doubts about their children can buy these kits and test their children at home, and once they have discovered that their children have drug use problems they can quickly seek help.
He commended President Buhari for approving the construction of barracks for the personnel of the agency and armoured vehicles for its operation to protect the personnel from being attacked while discharging their lawful duties.
The Guest Speaker, Professor Mohammed Sa’id Njidda made a presentation on the war against drugs in which he highlighted some of the achievements NDLEA has recorded under General Marwa’s leadership.
In a remark, the chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Dahiru Bobbo said the Adamawa community has passed a vote of confidence on General Marwa for his laudable contributions to the growth and development of the country.
Earlier, the secretary of the society, Mr. Dauda Markus Gundiri attributed criminality perpetrated by criminals across the globe to the influence of drugs.
