National News
Drug war: 31,675 arrests; 5,147 convictions; 6.3million kilogrammes drugs seized by NDLEA in 29 months – Marwa
Drug war: 31,675 arrests; 5,147 convictions; 6.3million kilogrammes drugs seized by NDLEA in 29 months – Marwa
By: Michael Mike
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 31,675 drug offenders, out of which 5,147 of them were prosecuted and convicted with over 6.3 million kilogrammes of assorted drugs seized since the appointment 29 months ago of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd).
The NDLEA boss while addressing a joint press briefing in Abuja on Monday with the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, Mr. Oliver Stolpe, said the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking has yielded significant results in the last 29 months since he came on board with the arrest of 31,675 drug offenders, 5,147 of them prosecuted and convicted while over 6.3 million kilogrammes of assorted drugs were seized within the same period.
Marwa, who was represented at the press conference to flag off a weeklong activities marking the 2023 World Drug Day, which is an annual event by the agency’s Secretary, Shadrach Haruna noted that the event “is to mobilise resources, align policies, and inspire organisations, communities, and nations to work in a particular direction to effectively tackle the challenges of illicit substances in society.”
He said: “This year’s theme, “People First: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention,” is in furtherance of the whole-of-society approach to taming the drug scourge.
“This theme is especially pertinent to the Nigerian situation at the moment. In the past two and half years, we have strengthened our law enforcement efforts to cut down on the supply of drugs in society. In 29 months, we have arrested 31,675 drug offenders, including 35 barons; successfully prosecuted and got convicted 5,147 of them, and over 11,000 other cases still pending in court, while 23,725 drug users had been counselled and rehabilitated, majority of them through brief interventions. At least 6.3 million kilogrammes of various illicit substances have been recovered in response to our efforts to sweep up drugs and shut down the distribution channels.
“We have destroyed 852.142 hectares of cannabis farms and dismantled three clandestine methamphetamine laboratories. I can assure you that even as we speak, NDLEA agents are busy with interdiction activities somewhere.”
He however said that drug supply reduction remains only one of the components of the equation, stressing that: “Another crucial component is drug demand reduction, which operationally means prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. It should go without saying that we must strike a balance between these two crucial components if we are to achieve our desired utopia of a drug-free society.
He disclosed that: “NDLEA has made significant investments in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation over the last two years. The doors of our rehabilitation facilities are open at all times. In the last 29 months, we have acquired a few more rehab centres, given to us as donations, while we have also obtained the federal government’s approval for the construction of regional model rehabs.
“More private treatment facilities are also cooperating with NDLEA. To cap it all, NDLEA went above and beyond to invest in a toll-free, round-the-clock call centre that provides teletherapy. In summary, we have prioritised treatment, while our WADA advocacy initiative has taken a life of its own with our Commands, Formations and partnering civil society organisations taking sensitisation lectures and campaigns to schools, communities, worship places and many more across the country everyday.
“In addition, we have also produced TV commercials and radio jingles in differenty languages being broadcast on various platforms. This is simply aimed at prevention, by sensitising the people and equipping them with facts about drugs to enable them take the right decisions against substance abuse”,
He however charged the society to drop the stigmatization that discourages drug users from seeking treatment, a development, which he lamented, has serious socio-economic repercussions for individuals and their families.
He decried that: “Stigmatisation and discrimination make recovery and reintegration difficult for drug-dependent users who submit themselves to treatment. And the prevalence of such an attitude is counterproductive to the effort, time, and resources invested by governments, institutions, and corporate bodies working to contain the drug problem.
“This is what the year’s theme is about. We must rid ourselves of any bias against those who are drug-dependent to be able to support, expedite, and make permanent their recovery. The theme will serve as an impetus for us to make a collective effort to break down these invincible but formidable social barriers that undermine the attainment of the goal of a drug-free society.”
Marwa expressed appreciation for the partnership between NDLEA, NGOs, development partners, and the various groups, institutions, and relevant professionals in society, including media professionals, who have been very supportive of the renewed war on drugs.
He said: “I want to thank the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), especially for its unquantified support that has contributed to the rapid evolution of NDLEA. In the same vein, we are thankful to the European Union (EU) and the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, France, India and Germany, who have all boosted our capacity to cope with the demands of our mandate.”
He disclosed that: “To celebrate this year’s World Drug Day, we have a line-up of activities for the week, some of which will be conducted in partnership with our stakeholders like the UNODC and MTN Foundation. Some of the events are educational, like the essay and the quiz competitions. We have days set aside for events like the Walk Against Drugs, NGO activities, and a campaign to raise awareness among young people who are not in school. The grand finale will be the ceremony at the State House on Monday, June 26.”
In his remarks at the media briefing, UNODC Country Rep, Oliver Stolpe emphasized the “benefits of international cooperation in criminal justice matters with a specific target of dismantling trafficking networks involved in this terrible trade.”
Stolpe added that: “Long overdue is the need to make sure that the public and primary health care providers are better prepared to take basic drug counseling needs, knowing how to deal with people suffering from drug use disorders.” He commended NDLEA for the successes recorded so far in the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
Drug war: 31,675 arrests; 5,147 convictions; 6.3million kilogrammes drugs seized by NDLEA in 29 months – Marwa
National News
ECOWAS Moves to Solidify Movement Across West African Countries, Inaugurates EU-funded Programme on Migration
ECOWAS Moves to Solidify Movement Across West African Countries, Inaugurates EU-funded Programme on Migration
By: Michael Mike
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission is consolidating movement of citizens of West Africa by inaugurating the second phase of the European Union (EU) funded project “Support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa (FMM II)” to advance economic growth.
Vice-President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mrs Damtien Tchintchibidja reiterated the commitment of economic blog to ensure free movement and encourage commerce and economic development in the sub region at the inauguration of the FMM II in Abuja on Thursday.
The event was organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the ECOWAS Commission.
The vice-president explained that the FMM is designed to promote the free protocol and movement of persons, goods and services, as vision of ECOWAS for regional integration.
According to her, the initiative would demonstrate renewed commitment to ensure migration governance and regional mobility serve as pillars of development within the sub-region.
Tchintchibidja added that: “During the first phase of the project, we made significant progress in enhancing migration governance, strengthening boarder management and operational license to drive the free protocols.
“We reinforced migration governance, harmonised policies, strengthened border management systems, facilitation of labour mobility and supporting member states in aligning national policies with ECOWAS migration instruments.
“These achievements played key roles in enhancing regional security and economic mobility within our region, however, our work is far from over, benefits of migration must be fully harnessed.
“This requires structured, coordinated approach both at national and regional levels; we are optimistic FMM II will serve as vehicle towards addressing new-migration challenges, while capitalising on emerging opportunities.
“The FMM II will enhance mobility across borders in safe and orderly manner, through specific efforts to ascertain migration governance framework, enhance coordination mechanism, data driven policy making and integrated approaches.”
She stressed the need for collaborative efforts to ensure that migration contribute positively to economic growth, stability and social-coercion in the ECOWAS region.
Speaking at the event, the Head of Cooperation of the European Union (EU), Mr Massimo De Luka, said the five-year project aims to maximise development potential of free movement of persons and migration in West Africa.
He noted that the project would be achieved through support of the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Free Movement of Persons Protocol and the ECOWAS Common Approach to Migration.
He said: “The basis for cooperation and coordination on improving free movement of persons and migration in West Africa has been established.
“The second phase will deepen the cooperation in enhancing migration governance and at the same time commit to regional integration.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Massandjé Toure-Litse commended the milestones achieved during the first phase to be in line with ECOWAS mission.
Toure-Litse was represented by Mr Albert Siaw-Boateng, Director, Free Movement of Persons of ECOWAS Commission/Project Coordinator, West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI).
Toure-Litse said, “This milestone reaffirms our collective commitment to regional integration, migration governance and sustainable development, which are core principles that underscores the ECOWAS mission.”
ECOWAS Moves to Solidify Movement Across West African Countries, Inaugurates EU-funded Programme on Migration
FG Moves To Fast Track MSMEs Growth, Sets Up C’ttee To Enhance Financing
** We’ll be more deliberate in supporting small business owners to grow – VP Shettima
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has said that the federal government, working in collaboration with other stakeholders, will be more deliberate in ensuring growth in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) space in Nigeria.
To this end, the National Council on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has set up a committee to interface with the Central Bank of Nigeria to enhance the financing of small businesses in the country.
This was part of decisions taken on Tuesday at the first meeting of the National Council on MSMEs for 2025 held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Speaking after deliberations by members, Vice President Shettima said the federal government, through its agencies and partners, has the moral burden of supporting growth in the MSME space and facilitating job creation across different sectors for Nigerians.
Reeling out the mandate of the committee, the Vice President said the efforts of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in supporting small businesses, evident in important policies and programmes, need to be complemented by stakeholders, especially the private sector.
The committee headed by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh, has Ministers of Science and Technology; Women Affairs; Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MSMEs as members.
Others include the CEOs of Bank of Industry, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Bank of Agriculture (BOI), Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), and the representative of NACCIMA and the organized private sector.
In the same vein, Council also approved a loan scheme for MSMEs known as the syndicated de-risked loans for small businesses.
The scheme will be a partnership between state governments and financial institutions aimed at enhancing access to finance for MSMEs at single-digit rates across the country.
Vice President Shettima advised state governments to set up vehicles that are devoid of political interests to drive the implementation of the syndicated de-risked loans for the MSMEs scheme.
“Some of these initiatives are laudable and will need to outlive the present administrations in the States. Regardless of political affiliations, Nigerians must be seen to be the ultimate beneficiaries of these schemes that we are trying to put in place,” the VP stated.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MSMEs, Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, presented the ‘syndicated de-risked loans’ scheme for small businesses, seeking the cooperation of members and describing it as a game-changing programme to provide affordable and available loans for businesses.
He said the initiative is in acknowledgement of the President’s passion and commitment to the development of small businesses and aimed at providing more jobs for Nigerians.
In his presentation on the state of MSMEs in Nigeria, the DG SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, said the agency was proposing an initiative which was born from a 3-day MSME conference held in 2024.
He said the initiative known as the GROW Nigeria strategy is to provide guidance, resources, opportunities, and the workforce to support the about 40 million small businesses across 8 distinct sectors.
Present at the meeting were the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr Ifeanyi Ossai; the representatives of the Governors of Benue and Katsina States; the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh; Ministers of Science and Technology, Mr Uche Nnaji; Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi; representative of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria.
Others are the CEOs of Bank of Industry (BOI), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank), Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), NAFDAC, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON); National Bureau of Statistics (NBS); the Presidents of NACCIMA and National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME).
FG Moves To Fast Track MSMEs Growth, Sets Up C’ttee To Enhance Financing
Akume Insists Tinubu Means Well for the Nation
By: Michael Mike
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen.George Akume has said President Bola Tinubu means well for the nation, pledging to continue to work hard to support the Nigerian leader to achieve his many laudable programmes and vision for the country.
Akume made the promise at the weekend when he was decorated as “Star Associate of President Tinubu,” and Grand Patron of the Nationwide Tinubu Connect Associates (NTCA),
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, made the declaration while he was decorated as “Star Associate of President Tinubu” by the National Co-ordinator/President of the Nationwide Tinubu Connect Associates (NTCA), Hon. Henry Nwabueze, who led a delegation of leaders of the Movement to the SGF ‘s office at the weekend in Abuja.
Akume pledged to continue to support the policies of President Bola Tinubu in his quest to make Nigeria safe and economically viable again.
He also pledged to continue to work hard to support the Nigerian leader to achieve his many laudable programmes and vision for the country.
Nwabueze, on his part said Sen. Akume has given so much in service to Nigeria and in support for the Tinubu Administration that he became the best choice for the position of the Movement’s Grand Patron and the first to receive the award of “Star Associate of President Tinubu,” an award intended for those in diverse fields of endeavour whose very efforts are promoting the vision of Mr. President for a better Nigeria.
According to Nwabueze, a former President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and distinguished Delegate at the 2014 Justice Kutigi Nigerian National Conference initiated by the Jonathan Administration, Sen. Akume represents the Tinubu Administration’s efforts aimed at injecting competence, maturity as well as discipline and hard work in public governance, and thanked the SGF for accepting the two honours, revealing that in the weeks ahead Nigerians would see the advocacy campaigns of the Movement in support of President Tinubu’s efforts at repositioning the country.
He reiterated the advice to Nigerian politicians that anyone who is wishing to contest for the Office of President in 2027 should have a rethink, stressing that there will be no vacancy in Aso Rock Villa in that year.
Nwabueze added that: “The occasion today is a very short one and, therefore, does not require long speeches.
“Let me start by conveying the appreciation of the entire membership of the Nationwide Tinubu Connect Associates (NTCA), both at home and in the Diaspora, all who have unanimously agreed that the man that has been chosen as our Grand Patron more than fits the bill.
“For several years, even before some of us were born,His Excellency, Distinguished Senator (Dr.) George Akume,CFR,has continued to serve this nation in diverse capacities.
“Whether as Permanent Secretary or Governor in his native State of Benue, Sen.(Dr.) Akume has for over fifty odd years held the flag of service and servant-leadership that has produced men and women of consummate repute and honour.
“Whether as Senator, Minister or even Secretary to the Government of the Federation,Sen.(Dr.) Akume’s place in the annals of history of our great nation remains one of honour well-deserved and laurels perpetually treasured.
“So, as we stand here today to decorate him as our Grand Patron and Star Associate of President Tinubu,the first in our list for such Honours,we are merely giving expression to what those who came before us saw to enlist him in the Benue Plateau Civil Service of his day,to make him Permanent Secretary in the Benue State Civil Service many years later,to make him Governor,to make him Senator, Minister and, today, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
“On behalf of the National Executive Council and, indeed,the General Congress of the Nationwide Tinubu Connect Associates at home and abroad, I, Uche Henry Nwabueze, with the powers tacitly conferred on me by the Constitution of our Organisation, and in the name of the Most High God… Decorate you as Grand Patron of NTCA and as a Star Associate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Your Excellency, the SGF is by this decoration welcomed to function in this capacity with all the rights and privileges attached thereto.
“Accept our humble congratulations,Your Excellency, our Grand Patron,”
The Nationwide Tinubu Connect Associates( aka: No Vacancy in Aso Rock 2027) is a registered group of like-minded Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora,who are committed to the promotion of the laudable efforts and programmes of the Tinubu Administration to repositioning Nigeria for greatness
The Movement has membership in all the States of the Federation and the 774 Local Government Councils.
Akume Insists Tinubu Means Well for the Nation
FG unveils 39 inmate transport vehicles, armoured booths for prison security
Damaturu Flyover: The Making of A Befitting State Capital
Kidnapped Munya LGA Secretary Regains Freedom as Security Forces Intensify Rescue Efforts
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
EYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
News12 months agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions3 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
News11 months agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Opinions3 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
ACADEMICS12 months agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns12 months agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Opinions1 year agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
National News12 months agoFraud and Mismanagement Rock INGO’s IDP Cash Assistance Effort in Bama
