The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has called for the collaboration of state and local governments to actualise a drug free society.
The Anambra State Commander of NDLEA, Mr Sule Momodu, made the appeal while he was speaking at the state command’s third annual lecture at the Professor Dora Akuynili Women Development Centre in Awka, the state’s capital.
He stressed the need for all relevant stakeholders to partner with NDLEA to curb the spate of drug abuse and trafficking but with major emphasis on rehabilitation which he said was more critical.
Mr Momodu also condemned the increase in drug cases, adding that there was a need to establish a rehabilitation centre in the state.
A speaker from the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Abuja, Sheriff Ghali, solicited state and local government cooperation in the area of enforcement of drug control policies.
The Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, who represented Governor Willie Obiano stressed the importance of grassroots awareness.
He urged various families, churches and civil society groups to play their parts to nip drug activities in the bud by teaching children the right values before their lifestyles become uncontrollable.
The National Drug Control Master Plan of the NDLEA was drawn in 2015 and assigned roles to both the state and local governments.
The large crowd of participants at the lecture comprised the various security agencies in the state, corps members, government functionaries, community leaders, principals, teachers and students.
