The Anambra State Government is working with relevant stakeholders to position the state as the licit drug headquarters of West Africa through tighter regulation and a stronger partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor, has said.
Dr. Mefor disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Anambra State Commandant of the NDLEA, Mr Charles Onubuogu, at his office in Awka.
Accompanied by the former Managing Director of the Anambra State Civic and Social Reformation Office (ANCISRO), Sir Chuka Nnabuife, the commissioner said the initiative formed part of the ministry’s response to what he described as the “clear and present danger” posed by drug abuse among youths across the 179 communities in the state.
He explained that the decision to include value reorientation in the ministry’s portfolio was deliberate, given the growing connection between drug abuse and crime.
“It would be a miracle to find one community in Anambra where drugs are not sold. Every community has a spot. Sometimes it is open, sometimes it is under the table,” he said.
Mefor expressed concern over the shift from Indian hemp to more dangerous substances, including Tramadol and crystal meth, popularly known as mkpuru mmiri, which he said were cheap, lethal and capable of causing severe damage to young people.
To tackle the menace, the commissioner proposed a three-point partnership with the NDLEA centred on education and sensitisation, enforcement, and alternative development.
He said the ministry would intensify public education and sensitisation campaigns, while enforcement would be anchored on the Anambra Homeland Security Law 2025, which provides for the forfeiture of properties used in the commission of crimes.
He added that Agunechemba, the state vigilante security outfit, would also support enforcement efforts.
On alternative development, Mefor said Anambra would key into the NDLEA’s national programme designed to help willing drug dealers abandon the illicit trade and establish legitimate businesses.
“We want to launch it as a massive statewide event to celebrate those who have turned a new leaf,” he stated.
The commissioner further disclosed that the drug hub being developed at Oba by the Soludo administration, which is envisioned as the biggest drug wholesale market in West Africa, would operate under full regulation to eliminate the circulation of fake and expired drugs.
“Governor Soludo’s goal is clear: to make Anambra the licit drug hub of West Africa, not the illicit one,” Mefor said.
Responding, the NDLEA State Commandant, Onubuogu, welcomed the proposal and pledged the agency’s full support.
He disclosed that the Alternative Development Programme had already been launched in Ondo, Ogun and Lagos States, and advised the Anambra Government to formally write to the NDLEA headquarters to invite the team handling the programme.
In a vote of thanks, Sir. Nnabuife described the anti-drug campaign as a “labour of passion” for the good of society.
He commended the NDLEA’s Training, Media and Advocacy Officer for consistently projecting the agency’s activities and called for a broader partnership to achieve greater impact.
“The 179 communities in the state are suffering. You are the teeth of society meant to grip them. While advocacy is necessary, enforcement is your job. We will help you make that job easier,” he said.
