NAFDAC, NDLEA Unite to Fight Drug Abuse
The leaderships of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have resolved to join forces to combat the rising incidence of drug abuse across the country. The two agencies whose primary mandates revolve on control of abuse, adulteration and mismanagement of regulated pharmaceutical products and other consumables have decided not to leave anything to chance, hence have resolved to take urgent measures to curtail the rising incidence of drug abuse among Nigerians.
Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Christiana Adeyeye, while speaking during a working visit to the NDLEA Chairman in Abuja, stressed the need for the two agencies to close ranks for better efficiency.
Adeyeye said: “Our visit to NDLEA is coming after the stakeholders’ roundtable held in Kano. It is intended to foster familiarity among the leadership of the twin agencies so that we can work with better results to the benefit of Nigerians.
“It will also afford us the opportunity to work in synergy without issues with regards to the specific and general mandates of the two agencies.”
Responding, Chairman, NDLEA, Colonel (rtd) Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah, reemphasised the need for closer relationship between the two agencies.
According to Abdallah, drug abuse has attained an all time high level in Nigeria, hence should be regarded as an emergency at red alert level.
“Drug in Nigeria should be declared as emergency in Nigeria, even ahead of terrorism. This is because terrorism is hugely fueled by drug abuse. A typical evidence of this is that huge amount of drugs like tramadol and the likes are usually found in all the Boko Haram camps that have been dislodged so far, which is an indication that most of them perpetrate the act of terrorism under influence of drugs.”
Meanwhile, in a move to advance their resolution, the two agencies have agreed that there is an urgent need to form a joint task on drug abuse.
They have also agreed to make joint recommendations to the top leadership of the government on the need to empower the two agencies to perform optimally on this in view of the threat that drug abuse overly poses to the country’s overall security.
The latest move by the two agencies is coming on the heels of a recent visit by NAFDAC to the leadership of the Nigerian Senate, and a follow up visit of the House of Representatives during which the Senate President and members of the House stressed the need for improved funding for NAFDAC.