Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo, the wife of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday charged governors’ wives to prioritise the war against drug abuse and Illicit trafficking at all state levels.
Osinbajo said this at the Drug Prevention, Treatment and Care, (DPTC), workshop for governors’ wives, as part of activities to mark the 2022 World Drug Day in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, (WDD), is marked on June 26 every year.
It is marked to strengthen action and cooperation in achieving a world free of drug abuse.
Osinbajo said that the workshop, organised by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), and other relevant stakeholders, was timely in increasing the capacity of participants.
She said that drug problem in Nigeria was complicated, adding that it required adequate skills to dealing with the problem.
She, however, tasked them to give priority to drug prevention and control at the state levels to change the narrative in the ongoing fight against drug demand reduction.
She urged women to strive for personal development by acquiring the necessary knowledge needed, especially to curb the present situation of drug abuse and its menace in the country.
“I want to urge you all, to take this campaign to the state levels and help in the sensitisation by fighting this scourge bedeviling our country,” she said.
Earlier, the Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, said that the agency devoted equal resources, energy and enthusiasm to drug use prevention.
He said this was calculated to shield the vulnerable groups, especially youths, from experimenting with illicit substances.
Marwa said that the dynamics of the drug use prevention approach, entailed reaching out to the grassroots, especially communities in local government areas.
He said that the mechanism for the assignment was the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 26, 2021.
“Since the launch, I had led a delegation to states, to political, religious and traditional leaders, as a way of giving impetus to this assignment.
“Subsequently, NDLEA delegations from state commands have embarked on WADA mission to the offices of your excellencies in your respective states, as we count on your support and active participation in achieving the WADA goals,” he said.
Marwa said that the DPTC training was designed to enhance the capacities of stakeholders to implement evidence-based drug prevention education programmes.
He said the training as well as enhanced accessibility of treatment and care for those with substance use disorder and also facilitated their social reintegration where and when necessary.
Marwa also said that the position occupied by governors’ wives afforded them the leverage to make a difference in communities at the various states.
“In this regard, may I advise that we give priority to the functionality of the State Drug Control Committee (SDCC).
“The SDCC remains a potent coordination platform for fostering inter-agency collaboration to address drug demand reduction and implement other related measures at the state level.
“To boost the activities of the SDCC in the states, I enjoin you to encourage the committees to develop their work plans in line with their stated roles in the National Drug Control Master Plan, (NDCMP), 2021-2025, ” he said.
The theme of the workshop is “Drug Prevention and Treatment at the State level: Challenges, Opportunities and the Way Forward. (NAN)
