
Mrs, Okpere (m) receivinaz SPEECH ON “PRESERVING THE IMAGE OF A NATION THROUGH DRUG WAR” DELIVERED BY RITA OKPERE, CN, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MEDIA AND ADVOCACY, NATIONAL DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, (NDLEA) ON TUESDAY 28TH NOVEMBER, 2023 AT DRUG ABUSE CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY GROUP (CIG)
Good morning to you all, kindly permit my humble self to adopt the already established protocol.I bring you all this beautiful morning the warmest pleasantries from my Principal, My Boss, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), His Excellency, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), CON, OFR, who is unavoidably absent at this important occasion because of some engagements beyond his control which he has to attend to physically.According to him, the menace of trafficking in prohibited substances and drug abuse in any given society cannot be overemphasized. In any society which these monsters are visible, they should be attacked with fierce effective seriousness due to their nature and capabilities as the attendant consequences could crumble a nation’s life if not curbed.Once again, my name is Rita Okpere Geh (Commander of Narcotics) and Deputy Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA. INTRODUCTION:Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse are old concepts and they are a problem in most countries of the world including our beloved nation Nigeria.Talking about the image of a nation, Nigeria as a nation was never a source country, neither was it a destination country/user country, it was just a transit country – a country whereby drug shipments travel through to reach local dealers and users.As time went by, Nigeria crystalized into a consuming nation since the drugs that were meant to pass through her was now being consumed. That was how the issue of drug abuse started in full force and gained much ground as it has done today.Drug abuse is when substances or drugs are used in a manner that deviates from medically approved or socially acceptable patterns by the society.It is the non-medical use of substances or drugs which have the properties of altering the mental state of a being in ways that are considered by social norm and defined by statutes to be inappropriate, undesirable, harmful and threatening to the life of the user and society at large.Though drug abuse is not limited to teenagers and youths, it is more common among them in our society.In buttressing this fact, the 2018 National Drug Survey result supported by the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), shows that while the global drug use prevalence is 5.6%, the drug use prevalence in Nigeria is 14.4% which is almost three times the global average and this is not good for the image of the country.Some of the commonly abused classes of drugs in our country include:STIMULANTS: e.g., Amphetamine, Methamphetaine, Caffeine etc. They speed up/increase the functionality of the Central Nervous System.DEPRESSANTS: e.g., Valium, Lexotan, Diazepam and Rohypnol. They slow down the functionality of the central Nervous system.HALLUCINOGENS: e.g., Ecstacy/Molly, ketamine. They alter the user’s perception of reality.NARCOTICS: e.g., Heroin, Morphine, Opium, Codeine and tramadol. They have both stimulating and depressing effects on the user.STEROIDS which are typically used to build muscle mass and treat inflammatory conditions like asthma and arthritis but when abused, steroids can cause liver and kidney problems, blood pressure among others.INHALANTS e.g., nail polish, sniffing burnt tyres, nitrous oxides in balloons, highlight markers etc.UNCONVENTIONAL DRUGSGutter water (mix of tramadol, cannabis, codeine and vodka)La casera and tom tom (lacatomtom)Zakama aka “suk and die”Consequences of Drug Abuse are:The Physical Effect of drug abuse is that it causes serious damage to vital organs of the human body like the brain, liver, lungs, eyes etc. Drug users develop obvious medical conditions that are not in most cases associated with their age grade which may include: lack of concentration, memory loss, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat among others. Life threatening infections like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis can also be attracted through the sharing of needles and syringes used in injecting drugs. Death can also occur as an offshoot of drug abuse.The Psychological Effect includes sleeplessness, restlessness, violent and hostile behaviour. Drug users also hallucinate as their perception of reality is distorted. Drug abuse promotes violence thereby constituting and contributing to social vices in the society and environment.The Social Effect: Drug abuse is a known social malady. Persons involved drug abuse display high levels of hostility as they often get involved in unnecessary conflicts with friends, family and authorities in various capacities. They are easily lured into cultism, armed robbery, banditry, rape among others.CONCLUSIVELYThe image of any nation is very important in that it can make or mar that nation, it could attract blessings or curses upon such nation. If the image of a nation is good enough, it would encourage investors to come and invest in that country or vice versa. It is bad enough for a country to be ridden by the attendant consequences of drug abuse but becomes worse if such a nation is not seen by the global authorities to be taking a commensurate step/effort to combat the menace posed by drug abuse. Such a nation stands the risk of being decertified (becoming a no-go area for global economic activities).We thank God that our country Nigeria, for some years now, have been enjoying certification.The drug war in preserving the image of our dear nation has to be balanced because the drug war is fought on two major fronts: The Supply Reduction and the Demand Reduction. It is believed that if the drugs of abuse are not available, there will be no demand for them.NDLEA as an arrow head in the war front, under the present leadership is enjoying an amazing relationship with the global communities and nationally because it is grounded in the aforementioned strategy to bring the situation under control, thus achieving a healthy society for all.The key areas of focus of NDLEA include: Drug Abuse Preventive Education (DAPE) – educating people about the dangers of drug abuse and providing resources to help them avoid or come out of it.Law Enforcement – ensuring that drugs are not illegally imported or trafficked within the nation through interdiction, arresting and prosecuting offenders and confiscating illegally acquired wealth/property from drugs.Treatment/Rehabilitation – helping people who have become addicted to drugs to get the treatment they need to recover and lead healthy, productive lives after integrating them into the society.It is a continuous war and we are not tired in preserving a good image for our nation.Thank you and God bless you!