The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has pleaded for the completion and commissioning of the state drug addicts counseling and rehabilitation centre in the state.
Delta State NDLEA Commander, Abubakar Wada, pleaded when he received, on courtesy visit, the Executive Assistant on Communications to Delta State Governor, Latimore Oghenesivbe
The commander appealed to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to prioritise its completion, as the centre, situated in Kwale, when completed, will provide skills acquisition and vocational training programmes to assist rehabilitated individuals in starting a new life.
According to him, the agency cannot do much in the area of rehabilitation in the absence of a well equipped facility.
He noted that Governor Oborevwori is worried about the rising cases of drug abuse and trafficking in Delta and across the country, judging from the genuine concerns he expressed during the recent visit of NDLEA Chiarman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa.
The state commander of NDLEA observed that drug abuse remained a major challenge confronting humanity all over the world, which over the years escalated, especially among youth.
He called on all Deltans to report and give useful information of drug abuse and trafficking to NDLEA authorities at their office in Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha south local government area of the state.
“Criminal elements heavily rely on multifaceted illicit drugs to carry out their nefarious activities and criminal activities, especially kidnapping and armed robbery, adding that the NDLEA has been very proactive in action against the menace and shall continue the crackdown on sellers and users. This facility, when completed, would provide vocational training, skills acquisition and other programmes to foreseeable thousands of beneficiaries.
Earlier, Oghenesivbe said the aim of the visit was to familiarise himself with the commander and his team based on their recent agreement to jointly commence campaign against drug abuse and trafficking, targeting secondary schools and institutions of higher learning across the state.
He commended the NDLEA management team for their strategic efforts in the area of arrest and prosecution of drug traffickers, retailers and courier companies in the ongoing drug war.
He explained that substance abuse remained the major propeller of deviant behaviours and criminal activities across the country, while emphasising the significance of the partnership between the State Orientation Bureau and NDLEA.