The Kwara State Governor, North Central Nigeria, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has expressed concern over the prevalence of substance abuse among Nigerian youths.
AbdulRazaq spoke when the state Commander of NDLEA, Mohammed Bashir Ibrahim and the Special Assistant on Drug Prevention and Control, Minkahil Aileru, met with him at Government House, Ilorin to update the governor on the current situation of illicit drug abuse in the state.
Ibrahim also used the occasion to present copies of two the books he authored, titled “Look Before You Leap” and “Drug Slave” to the Governor.
Against this background, the Governor has therefore thrown his weight behind the various initiatives of the state command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), aimed at stemming the tide of substance abuse in the state.
In his remarks, the state Commander of NDLEA, Ibrahim called for the establishment of student-led drug-free clubs in public secondary schools.
He disclosed that, “A proposal has been submitted to the state government on the potential impact of promoting peer education and positive social norms around drug use.”
The NDLEA commander spoke on the need for increased operational support, such as funding to conduct periodic raid operations in drug hotspots and dislodging drug joints to improve drug supply reduction efforts.
He added that, “The state government’s intervention was particularly required on the potential ways his agency was employing to curtail the prevalence of substance abuse.”
The NDLEA commander said there was the need for the availability of drug user rehabilitation facilities and as well as strategies to expand access to effective treatment programmes.
Ibrahim called on the government to support treatment and rehabilitation efforts through providing funding for a number of drug users that need help either monthly or on quarterly basis.
The Special Assistant on Drug Prevention and Control, Aileru while thanking the Governor for his support to the agency, appealed to him for increased operational funding to the agency and approved capacity building of evidence prevention expert in the state.
During the visit, the NDLEA commander handed copies of his books to the Governor and donated 500 copies of each of the two books to the state government.
