A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Authorities to step up its combat in opposition to drug abuse by introducing extreme punishment for drug traffickers.
Obi disclosed this in an announcement on X.com on Wednesday whereas commemorating the Worldwide Day in opposition to Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
In his assertion, Obi blamed financial hardship and unemployment for fueling drug habit, significantly amongst younger folks.
His assertion partly learn, “For a predominantly youthful inhabitants, Nigeria, the place poverty and unemployment are on the rise, the incidence of drug abuse stays excessive. Financial hardship and different poor socio-economic elements have been recognized because the main elements fueling drug abuse amongst our youth.”
Citing stories by the United Nations Workplace on Medicine and Crime and the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company, he said that with out pressing motion, Nigeria might witness a rise in drug customers.
He added, “A report by the United Nations Workplace on Medicine and Crime (UNODC) states that Nigeria and a few African international locations will witness a 40 per cent rise within the inhabitants of drug customers, particularly the youth inhabitants if pressing measures will not be taken.”
“The Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) stories that about 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15-64 years, abuse medicine.
“The Nationwide Bureau of Statistics stories a 14.4 per cent drug prevalence in Nigeria, which is twice the worldwide common of 5.8 per cent.”
The previous Anambra governor due to this fact urged the federal government to put money into the rehabilitation of these combating drug habit and introduce stricter punishment for drug traffickers.
He added, “The federal government ought to put money into rehabilitating these already caught within the net of drug abuse and stringent punishment meted out to drug traffickers.
“Medicine and substance abuse have contributed to excessive charges of crime, ethical decadence in society, and different related well being hazards. It additionally tremendously dampens the productiveness of individuals, particularly the youth inhabitants.
“We should, due to this fact, search to save lots of our nation from the menace of drug abuse and illicit trafficking. Extra efforts should be channelled into stopping the unfold of this virus.”
PUNCH On-line reported on Tuesday that the NDLEA said that the menace of drug abuse within the nation is a ticking bomb that every one stakeholders should rise to combat elaborately.
The company went additional to state that the apply of abuse of medication and habit shouldn’t be solely peculiar among the many avenue and customary folks but additionally a problem recording excessive indulgence among the many essential individuals (VIPs) within the nation.