Connect with us

Health

We’ll adopt strategic approach to combat drug abuse in Abia — Otti

Published

on

Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has expressed his administration’s determination to adopt a strategic approach to combat drug abuse and its associated challenges.

Otti made this known on Thursday when the new State Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Chidi Nnadi, paid him a visit in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.

The governor said that the challenges posed by drug abuse and crime clearly showed the evolving nature of the drug menace and its correlation with criminal activities.

He expressed his administration’s commitment to collaboration, and the use of strategic actions to prevent and tackle these issues.

Otti said: “When you look at crime and drug, you’ll see that they are closely related like you said and we understand it.

“A lot of times, people who get involved in crime and criminality start with drugs and drugs have been so cheap and their prices have reduced so much, because there are alternatives.

“The fight against drugs has metamorphosed into something a bit more difficult because we’re not dealing with wide range of issues.

“In the past, drug barons could be easily identified, but today in dingy places in villages, you just see people seated taking drugs, so it becomes a more difficult fight.

“So, while we are dealing with it in a kinetic manner, we should also be thinking of other means of fighting it and that takes me to intelligence”.

He advocated for intelligence-driven strategies alongside traditional enforcement methods.

Otti reiterated his administration’s unwavering commitment to providing the NDLEA with the necessary resources and support to achieve its mission.

Earlier, Nnadi expressed the Agency’s commitment to combating drug abuse and insecurity in the state.

The State Commandant thanked the governor Otti and his wife for their passionate involvement in awareness campaigns and the rehabilitation of drug users.

He described the inauguration of the State Drug Control Committee, chaired by the governor’s wife, as a significant step toward tackling the issue at the grassroots level.

Nnamdi said that the committee aligns with the National Drug Control Master Plan, which mandated every state to establish such structures to effectively address drug-related challenges.

Ihechinyere Chigemeri-uwom

NEWSVERGE, published by The Verge Communications is an online community of international news portal and social advocates dedicated to bringing you commentaries, features, news reports from a Nigerian-African perspective. A unique organization, founded in the spirit of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, comprising of ordinary people with an overriding commitment to seeking the truth and publishing it without fear or favour. The Verge Communications is fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a corporate organization.

Comments
NIGERIA DECIDES

NIGERIA DECIDES

Shell Digital Plan RESPONSIVE600x750
Shell Digital Plan RESPONSIVE600x750
GTB
JoinOurWhatsAppChannel