Drug Abuse: DFAM Wants FG Implement Marwa’s Committee Report

North’s leading anti-drug use and drug abuse group, Drug-Free Arewa Movement (DFAM) on Thursday rose from its 2-day annual anti-drug abuse leadership summit held in Kaduna to call on the federal government to quickly implement the report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Eradication of Drug Abuse in Nigeria chaired by Brig-Gen Buba Marwa (Rtd).

The group was coming on the background of alarming statistics recently released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) where about 14.3 million Nigerians were said to be using or abusing one form of drug or the other.

DFAM in a communique signed by its Lead Conveyner, Ibrahim Yusuf Gombe also called on the international organisation working around illicit drugs to support Nigeria in her quest to address the issue of drug use and drug abuse in order to ensure the success of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which includes sound health and quality education.

Gombe in that communique further called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to adopt an intervention line that encompasses comprehensive education for long-term empowerment of youths and general public to counter drug abuse.

“we are aware of drug of drug abuse danger and it’s negative effect on Northern region economic, social, global goal, cultural value and its threat to security. 

“The summit brought together and trained 200 youths from 19 States of the North and FCT Abuja for a two day interactive summit and workshops with experts in the fields of governance, NDLEA, business and the economy, peace building, community development and non-profit activism and education.

“We recommend that, there must be close collaboration in the fight against drug abuse with key actors including relevant government departments, the media, NGOs relevant professionals, religious/traditional leaders, parents associations and institutional leadership.

“We also recommend that, the Federal Government quickly implement the Presidential Advisory Committee on Eradication of Drug Abuse in Nigeria reports.

“We call on the governments of of the 19 Northern states to strictly adhere to the principle of full cooperation with one another in their efforts to control the production and dissemination of illicit drugs.”