Governors’ wives seek emergency declaration on drug abuse, illicit trafficking

The Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum (NGSF) has urged the Federal Government and their husbands to declare a state of emergency on drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

The forum said this would engender national ownership of the drug problem for the mobilization of resources to dismantle the menace.

The governors’ spouses declared their support for the war against drugs at the state level and promised to ensure the initiative gets down to communities in their domains.

The declaration was part of their resolutions in a communiqué read by the wife of Ogun state, Mrs. Bamidele Dapo Abiodun, on behalf of the Chairperson of the forum and wife of Kwara State governor, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq.

The communiqué was issued at the end of a training workshop organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in collaboration with the NGSF in Abuja.

The NGSF noted that states play critical roles as stakeholders in addressing national drug challenges.

The forum said the states achieve this by implementing localised strategies, fostering cross-sector collaboration and aligning with internal frameworks towards responding to community needs and contributing to coordinated national responses.

It said the success of the ongoing efforts by the NDLEA against the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking would lead to the actualisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

“Recalling the importance that successfully tackling the drug scourge will remarkably ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President is achievable for holistic national development required to birth a Nigeria of our collective dreams,” the governors’ wives said.

They expressed concern “that Nigeria presently faces an alarming drug use situation, which has heavily pervaded every sphere and strata of communities and consequently endangering the wellbeing and security of individuals, families and communities within the country”.

The forum endorsed the “outstanding efforts of NDLEA under the leadership of Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa against drug use and trafficking with phenomenal national and global success records in the areas of arrests and seizures, prosecutions and convictions, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation among others”.

In its resolutions, the NGSF acknowledged “with urgency the need for the First Ladies to use their good offices to liaise with the state governors in facilitating the establishment, of State Drug Control Committees (SDCCs) in the 36 states of the country, beyond the nine functional committees currently in existence”.

It said the laudable partnership between NDLEA and the NGSF has yielded significant dividends and achieved notable milestones over time.

The forum added that “urgent concerted and pragmatic efforts are required considering the complex public health issues and security challenges, the country is witnessing, which is fuelled largely by the use of drugs”.