The Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum, weekend, declared total support for the war against drug abuse being prosecuted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
and its ongoing war against abuse and trafficking of illicit drugs, while seeking a formidable partnership that will secure the states and Nigeria from the menace of drug subculture.
The group led by the Ekiti state First Lady, Bisi Fayemi and which includes First Lady of Kwara, Olufolake Abdulrasaq; Imo, Chioma Uzodinma and Yobe, Hafsat Buni, pledged their support and plans to partner with the NDLEA, when they met with Buba Marwa, chairman of NDLEA, at the Agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja
Marwa while expressing appreciation for the visit, commended them for the interest shown in tackling the country’s drug problem
“Let me put it on record that President Muhammadu Buhari is the number one drug fighter in Nigeria today because of all he has done to ensure the country wins the war against abuse and trafficking of illicit drugs.
Marwa said the NDLEA counts on the states especially the governors’ wives as the pillars and partners through which citizens across the states, local councils and communities are mobilised to reject this ravaging sub-culture.w
He charged the governors’ wives to work with their husbands to make the drug problem a major priority on their agenda; support the state commands of NDLEA with logistics; set up rehabilitation centres; provide jobs and skills for the youths; massive advocacy campaigns on state-owned media houses and mandatory drug tests for students, workers as well as intending couples among others.
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In her remarks, Bisi Fayemi said they came on the visit to inform Marwa of their collective decision to adopt drug abuse as a flagship project “to address the alarming problem of drug abuse in our communities.”
According to her, “We are therefore here today to pledge our support for NDLEA to ensure that our country and communities become drug-free. We are not willing to stand by as mothers and see our children consumed by this menace.”
They presented four requests, all of which were instantly granted by Marwa,
They requested NDLEA to continue to see State First Ladies as important allies in furtherance of the objectives of the agency; involve them in the fight against drugs as Champions in their respective States.
They also requested help to build the capacity of State First Ladies and their teams to be effective partners in the war against drug abuse and involve them in national and State campaigns against drugs.
In their contributions.
First Ladies of Kwara, Imo and Yobe expressed their willingness to key into the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA advocacy agenda and the National Drug Control Master Plan, NDCMP, of the agency in their respective states.
