The Daily Observer (Banjul)
Omar Wally
30 June 2011
Kalilu Njie, the deputy director general of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) has said that society has a responsibility to protect children and adolescents from drugs, and that homes, schools and playgrounds should be safe for children at all times. “As individuals and communities, let us pay attention to warning signs and address drug related problems at the earliest possible time. Let’s get involved in keeping children, adolescents and drugs apart,” he said.
The NDEA deputy director general was speaking on Sunday at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) grounds during the commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse, organised by the NDEA in collaboration with United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The theme of the celebration was: “Think health not drugs”. The celebration started in the form of a march past from the NDEA junction along Kairaba Avenue to the KMC grounds, led by the Gambia Police Band.
The deputy director general advised the public to be vigilant, to be steadfast in the fight against drugs and to report anyone suspected of dealing in drugs. He said his institution is all out to ensure that the country is drug free. “If you think you and your family are immune, think again; drugs are not a problem solely for the poor, the rich, the minority, or the inner city residents. The drug problem affects everyone either directly or indirectly,” he stated.
He said The Gambia is a signatory to all international drug conventions and treaties; notably the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961; the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substance of 1971; and the UN Convention Against Illicit Trafficking on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance of 1988, among others.
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