By CHARLES ONYEKWERE, Umuahia
Abia State governor, Alex Otti has called for stringent legislation against drug dealers and offenders, as a way of curbing drug abuse in Nigeria.
Governor Otti made the call when he played host to the newly appointed Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Abia State, Mr Joseph Owoputi.
The governor called for a crackdown on drug cartels in order to cut off the distribution of illicit substances. He argued that since over ninety percent of crime is connected to drug abuse, up scaling the punishment would go a long way in discouraging youths from going into drugs.
“We just need to crack the drug cartel. So, if you crack the drug cartel, then the crime disappears.
“Unfortunately, the law is a bit lenient on the use of drugs. I didn’t know that until I was in one of the Security Council meetings. They said that whenever you apprehend somebody using drugs, you counsel and rehabilitate the person. That’s not enough punishment.
“So, we need to, maybe lobby, and get it passed at the National Assembly, so that the law can be tougher because if you are not dealing with the source, you are just wasting time.
“So, I think we should do that because it’s destroying a lot of young people. Some of them are not able to remain in school,” Gov. Otti stated.
The governor welcomed the new commandant to the State and assured him of the support of his administration to the agency in its fight against drug abuse.
He approved two new Hilux vans for the agency and directed that the agency’s abandoned vehicles be retrieved and fixed by his government.
Earlier, Commandant Owoputi saluted the achievements of the Governor and his support to the NDLEA, saying that the support has assisted the agency in its fight against drug abuse and illicit drug trade.
“I was reliably informed by my predecessor that you have been a dependable ally and messiah to NDLEA.”
In assessing his scorecard, the commandant disclosed that 65 suspects were arrested by the Command between June and August with about 82 kilograms of substances seized from them. He added that seven convictions were obtained within the period under review, and 12 are currently being prosecuted, while 38 individuals are undergoing both counselling and rehabilitation in the command’s facility.
He assured that he would consolidate on the achievements of his predecessor and solicited the assistance of the state government in providing them with operational vehicles for better performance.
The meeting was attended by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Navy Commander Mcdonald Ubah (rtd), the GM/CEO, Abia State Homeland Security Board, Colonel Chidi Kalu Ukoha (rtd), Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Homeland Security, Medical and Fire Emergency, Mr. Chukwunenye Alajemba, Chief Security officers, CSOs to the Governor, Sir Ken Nwosu, and Maduka Obiora.
