The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has solicited the involvement of communities in the prevention of the cultivation of illicit drugs, drug abuse and drug trafficking in the country.
The Cross River State Commander of the NDLEA, Mr. Kayode Adeniyi, who made this call at the 2011 United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking in Calabar on Monday, said all community members irrespective of their status should work together to achieve the goal of a drug-free-society.
Adeniyi said for any community to improve its social, economic and political conditions, its members must be hale and hearty. He added that where the chunk of the people was being enslaved by drug abuse, development would be greatly retarded.
He said, “The most valuable resource in the community is our people. If these people are healthy and sound in mind, they will be able to take vital decisions on issues affecting the lives of the community members and strive to improve their conditions.
“It is obvious that communities play the primary role in preventing illicit drug cultivation, drug abuse and drug trafficking.
“A healthy community is an asset and ingredient for development.
“A healthy labour force is a productive population, since health is regarded as wealth, we need to shun any act of drug abuse that can threaten our health and survival thereby making us unproductive.”
The commander stated that no meaningful infrastructural development could take place in a community that was crisis ridden with violent crimes caused by drug abuse.
According to him, most violent crimes are perpetrated under the influence of psycho-active substances.
He said some of the violent crimes that were often associated with drug problem, included assassination, arson, suicide, rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, burglary, cultism, terrorism, militancy, political hooliganism, thuggery as well as ethnic and communal clashes.
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Illicit drugs: NDLEA seeks communities’ support