Chairman/chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohammed Marwa (rtd) has challenged traditional rulers, religious and community leaders to champion the campaign against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in their communities and spheres of influence.
Marwa gave the charge at different occasions in Igumale, Ado local government area and Otukpo in Benue State.
The NDLEA boss was in Igumale to perform the ground-breaking ceremony of the agency’s area command office in the community.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said while at the palace of the community’s monarch, Chief Joseph Oche Ikor, Marwa urged him to see the siting of the NDLEA office in his domain as a call to mobilise his people to reject substance abuse and support the ongoing efforts to eliminate access to illicit drugs wreaking havoc in families and communities.
In his remarks at the foundation laying ceremony and the commissioning of a 20-kilometre road facilitated by the member representing Ado-Ogbadigbo-Okpokwu federal constituency in the House of Representatives, who is the chairman, House Committee on Narcotic Drugs, Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo, Marwa said, “Both developments are signs of the importance of this community and local government to Nigeria’s welfare and also a testament that communities in this corner of the country are not left out of the dividends of democracy by its leaders.”
While commending Agbo for his passion and commitment to the efforts to make Nigeria a drug-free country, Marwa told the community that the lawmaker is at the cusp of making history with his sponsorship of a bill to make political office seekers take the drug integrity test, from the lowest position of councillorship to the highest office in the country.
During a WADA advocacy visit to the Ochi’Idoma of Idoma land, Agabaidu Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji John, Marwa said traditional rulers as leaders of their people must embrace the campaign against the drug scourge in the interest of the youths, families and the security of their communities and the country as a whole.
In their responses, the monarchs and other community leaders promised to support the Marwa-led agency to succeed in its task.
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