Insecurity: Govs Express Concern over Drug Related Inducement

* NDLEA, DSS seal off Abuja hotel to stop launch of new psychoactive drink
Chuks Okocha and Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), yesterday, at the end of their fourth meeting this year, expressed concern over the connection between drug use and rising insecurity across parts of the country.
A statement by the Chairman of NGF, and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, stated that the governors reached this conclusion, because of the briefing on Drug Abuse and Insecurity – Relationship and New Perspectives by the Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd).
This is as a joint team of NDLEA and the Department of State Services (DSS), raided and sealed off Diplomatic Suite Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja, to stop the launch of new psychoactivedrink.
However, according to the communique, the governor’s meeting was in furtherance of its March 2021 commitment to the agency, when the NDLEA Chief Executive first presented the case to the governors
The communique said that the governors reiterated their commitment to maintain logistical support to the agency, and provide additional opportunities for operational synergy, including bringing the agency into the State’s Security Council meetings, and providing land for barrack operations.
Also, the communique stated that governors received an update on the States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results from Samer Matta, Senior Economist and Co-Tax Team Leader of the World Bank.
The communique explained that the update that was part of measures taken to improve public financial management outcomes in the country covered ongoing state-level reforms to promote the adoption of e-procurement and open contracting data standards, records for state property taxation, and the publication of audit laws and audited financial statements.
It further claimed that the governors’ secretariat would be positioned to coordinate a series of sustainability projects to maintain the positive outcomes achieved under the SFTAS programme.
The governors also received a presentation on Improving Health Financing and Universal Health Coverage from Eduardo Gonzalez-Pier, Senior Technical Advisor for Palladium, an implementing partner for USAID’s Integrated Health Programme, where it shared its vision to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030 (SDG3).
The communique stated also, that among the set of actions pushed forward and adopted, was the continued release of equity fund to cover the vulnerable population in all states of the federation, onboarding of civil servants not yet covered under any health insurance scheme and preserving health sector spending amidst the current contraction in fiscal space for governments.
The governors believed these changes would help stem the country’s declining labour productivity caused by illness.
Relatedly, a statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the Abuja hotel was sealed off to stop a cannabis party and the launch of new psychoactive drink.
The statement read in part: “Operatives of the NDLEA have raided and sealed Diplomatic Suite Hotel, Asokoro, Abuja in a joint operation with men of the Department of State Services, DSS to stop a cannabis party and the launch of a suspected new psychoactive drink.”
Babafemi disclosed that about 200 attendees including three young ladies, who organised the hemp party were currently being profiled and interviewed while bottles of the new drink have been taken for lab analysis.
He said the hotel was raided at about 8:18pm on Wednesday, following actionable intelligence that some youths were planning to hold a hemp party at the hotel.
He revealed that quantities of cannabis sativa were recovered from the pockets and bags of those arrested at the hemp party.
“The audacious party no doubt is part of attempts by some elements to create a drug subculture in the Nigerian social space,” he said, insisting that, “the NDLEA will however continue to work with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders to ensure abuse of illicit substances is not allowed to get entrenched in the country under any guise.”