Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Delta State, Barr Abubakar Wada has vowed to flush out illicit drug sellers in the Okpanam road axis in Asaba, and across the state.
He gave the assurance on Wednesday in Asaba, while speaking as a guest of Orientation Panorama, a live public affairs phone-in programme on Voice of Delta FM radio anchored by ace presenter, Blessing Usiagbada, wherein Abubakar had a robust on-air interface with millions of listeners across the state.
The NDLEA Commander said the agency has achieved remarkable progress in the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, and urged members of the public to give useful information on drug red spots across the state, assuring that information received shall be treated with utmost confidentiality, while the identity of such informants would be kept in watertight secret.
Commander Abubakar listed negative effects of hard drugs and drug abuse to include; faster heartbeats and breathing, higher body temperature, unpredictable violence or acute aggressive behaviours, lung problems, kidney failure, increased risk of stroke on one side, increased risk of respiratory disease, heart damage, eating disorder, weight loss and death.
He passionately appealed to youths in Delta State and across Nigeria, to stay safe and shun peer groups that would lure them into the use of illicit and hard drugs, pointing out that apart from the criminal prosecutions and many years behind bars associated with the menace, use of illicit and hard drugs has aborted colourful destinies and counting, causes untimely death and grossly affects productivity, while victims are treated as social deviants and never do well individuals.
Commander Abubakar assured that NDLEA in the state is ever ready and willing to assist drug addicts through proactive counselling, rehabilitation and skills acquisition while appealing to the state governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, to provide conducive office accommodation in Asaba, and donate vehicles and other equipment/badgers, so as to enhance the operation of NDLEA in the state.
“We have made significant progress in the ongoing war against drug abuse in Delta State, through joint efforts with the DSS, civil society groups, Operation Hawk and the Vigilante groups across the state.
“We are also partnering with Delta State Orientation Bureau in the area of sensitization campaigns. Our offices in Sapele, Ogwhashi-Uku, and Warri have made several arrests and confiscated large quantities of cannabis and other illicit drugs. We shall intensify efforts to crack down on illicit drug sellers and to provide assistance to victims of drug abuse.
“The governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu, and the office of the First Lady of Delta, are working with us to do more. We want our office relocated to Asaba, for greater presence in the state capital where drugs are snuggled into other parts of the state.
“We need well-equipped operational vehicles to enable us spread our tentacles across the state. The Okpanam Road and Pinnacle Junction drug gangs will soon be a thing of the past if only the governor and the state government come to our aid. It is very important that we flush out these criminals from Asaba and across the state.
“Members of the general public should from time to time provide useful information about drug red spots to enable us do the needful. If you see something say something.
“Drug addicts who need help should also come to us. Our job is not all about arrest and prosecution, we also assist victims of drug abuse to bounce back to real life through counselling, rehabilitation and skills acquisition.
“We are also appealing to Delta State Government to prioritize the completion of Kwale rehabilitation centre to accommodate reasonable number of drug addicts who require rehabilitation and skills to start life all over.
“In fact, there should be one major rehabilitation centre in each Senatorial District. Government can do it and we are counting on Governor Oborevwori to give marching orders to get things done as soon as possible,” Abubakar said.
Also speaking during the one-hour live public affairs programme – Orientation Panorama, the Head of the State Orientation Bureau, Dr Latimore Oghenesivbe, assured members of the public that information received shall be acted upon while protecting the identity of informants.
He said Governor Oborevwori cares about the well-being of youths and all Deltans as encapsulated in his MORE agenda, and that the government is willing and always ready to assist drug addicts who are determined to get their lives back.
He disclosed that the Bureau’s partnership with NDLEA is to jointly carry out state sensitization campaigns that would enable victims of drug abuse to come out for help while harping on the self-inflicted dangers and health hazards of the use of illicit and hard drugs, as well as drug abuse generally.
Oghenesivbe appealed to victims of drug abuse to approach the State Orientation Bureau along Summit Road in Asaba, to seek relevant information on how they can be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society, pointing out that the State Government would take further steps to back up the rehabilitation process with vocational training and skills acquisition, to transit victims from bad boys and girls to good boys and girls.
Immediately after the radio program, Commander Abubakar Wada and his men paid a courtesy visit to the General Manager of Delta Broadcasting Service Asaba, Mrs Kristy Emetulu, to seek her support in the area of public awareness through radio Jingles and regular participation in public affairs program on radio.
Responding, Mrs Emetulu assured NDLEA State Command of the station’s readiness to do the needful and promised to work with the Public Relations Department of the Command to produce Jingles and air same to further create more awareness on the ongoing War Against Drug Abuse in the state.
The Head of Bureau, Dr Latimore Oghenesivbe commended Mrs Emutulu over her enviable performance since assumption of office, saying that DBS Asaba is waxing stronger by the day, and has improved tremendously in the propagation of various government policies, programmes and achievements in the discharge of assigned constitutional roles as the watchdog of society.
Orientation Panorama is a public affairs program on Voice of Delta FM Radio 97.9, broadcast live from 3pm to 4pm every Wednesday. The people’s programme on radio is an initiative of the Delta State Orientation Bureau.
