Unbundle to Help States Develop, Akeredolu Tells FG

Fidelis David in Akure

Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has called on the federal government to unbundle the exclusive list to allow states in the country to develop.

He urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to partner the state on the pathway towards cultivation of cannabis sativa for medicinal purposes.

Akeredolu made the call in Akure yesterday while playing host to the officials of the NDLEA led by the Assistant Commander of Narcotics and Zonal Commander of Zone J, Mr. Parah Julius Bawa.

He said: “If our fiscal policy is not changed and what comes to states does not change, it will be difficult for states to help develop federal establishments in their domains. The time has come to change our fiscal policy. The time has come to unbundle exclusive list. Whatever area we can assist the federal institutions, we will always support.”

Specifically, Akeredolu said the strain of cannabis sativa at Ogbese in Ondo State is the best in the world, charging NDLEA to look towards the sensitisation of the public and academic world to make it work.

The governor noted that the war against drug abuse is everyone’s fight, adding that no government would support drug abuse, particularly the rate at which it is going in Nigeria.

“No government will sit down and support drug abuse, particularly the scale at which it is going now in Nigeria. In Nigeria today, there are many substances. They are as deadly as cocaine. People today abuse codeine and so many things that are deadly.

“I agree with you that drug abuse fuels banditry, kidnapping and other forms of crime that we are faced with. Those who are involved in this have to get high to take risk with their lives. When you see what they do, you will agree that they are high. So, we know and I do agree with you entirely. We are ready to cooperate with you,” he said.

The governor added that his push for controlled cannabis cultivation for medicinal purposes is not to encourage drug abuse, stressing that the economic benefits are being reaped across the globe.

According to Akeredolu, “My own contention is that nobody would ask that we start trafficking Indian helm, nobody would say we should leave people free to smoke weed, but that we will need to look at the useful purpose to which we can take the seed and extract the CBD oil for medicinal purposes, they have been using it for long even in the hospitals”

The Commander of NDLEA Zone J, Mr. Mr. Parah Julius Bawa, said his visit to the governor was occasioned because he has been posted to Ondo State as the Zonal Commander of NDLEA Zone J.

He said Zone J of the NDLEA comprises Ondo and Ekiti State, emphasising that the creation of the zone was mandated by the Chairman of the Agency, Brigadier General Muhammad Marwa (rtd), who brought the restructuring by expanding the frontiers of the existing structure to 14 zonal commands.