Drug Abuse: Diri advocates shift in focus, calls for collective effort

By Aherhoke Okioma

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has called for collective effort in the fight against drug abuse, charging all relevant law enforcement agencies to focus on eliminating the production of harmful drugs in the country.

Governor Diri made the call while speaking at an event commemorating the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Yenagoa, on Thursday.

The well attended one-day summit was put together by the Bayelsa State Drug Abuse, Addiction, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee (BADAPARC) in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with the theme, “Breaking the Chains: Prevention, Treatment and Recovery for All”.

Represented by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the Governor emphasized that the panacea to break the chains of drug abuse in the country was to interrupt the production of harmful drugs.

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According to the Bayelsa Chief Executive, tackling the source of production, which is the root cause of substance abuse would naturally cut off the chain of supply and consumption of such drugs.

While justifying the need for intensified use of the social media to fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking of drugs, Governor Diri called for more concerted effort in all communities in the state to get rid of the menace of drug abuse.

Responding to the statistics on drug abuse in the state, he expressed concern that while government at all levels and its relevant agencies in conjunction with international institutions, like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), were making more effort to fight drug abuse, there was still noticeable spread of illicit drugs in the country.

He disclosed that the state government was deeply concerned about the issue of drug abuse as it affects youth development, and called on NDLEA to establish local government offices especially in areas where the rate of drug abuse is reportedly high in the state.

His words: “The Bayelsa State Government is deeply concerned about the menace of drug abuse as it negatively impinges on youth development.

“The more we fight against drug abuse, the more the spread of drug abuse. So are we winning the war or losing it? Year by year we make effort to end drug abuse, yet there is more drug consumption. Is there anything we are not doing right?

“Again, what chains are we breaking, and what are we preventing? My prescription is let us interrupt the production of drugs. If there is no producer, then there would be no seller, and if there is no seller,then there would be no buyer.

“So for the chain of drug abuse and trafficking to break, we must as of necessity disrupt the production of harmful drugs.”

‎In his remarks, the Chairman of NDLEA Brigadier General Buba Marwa, (Rtd) disclosed that the agency has made sixty six thousand arrest over the last four years, secured twelve thousand convictions with several suspects still facing prosecution.

Marwa, who was represented by the Zonal Commander, Zone 13 of the NDLEA, Mr. Fidelis Cocodia, however, noted that despite the number of arrests made, a lot still needs to be done in terms of what he called primary prevention..

Delivering a keynote address, Professor Wilson Erhun highlighted some of the triggers of drug abuse among the youth, including peer influence, parental neglect, self-medication, negative influence from movies and fallouts from broken homes.

Professor Erhun, who is the Chairman of Joint Faculty Board of the West African Post-Graduate College of Pharmacists, commended the Bayelsa Drug Abuse Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for standing out in the fight against drug abuse in the state and called for its upgrading to a full-fledged, statutory agency.

In his opening remark, the Chairman of the occasion, Amb. Boladei Igali underscored the dangers which drug abuse portends to society, hence the international day is marked globally to sustain the fight against the scourge.

Amb. Igali, who was represented by Professor Philips Okolo at the event, praised the state government, the BADAPARC, and all critical stakeholders for the efforts being made to rid the state and country of drug-related problems.

Also speAking, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, assured that the Governor Diri-led administration would do everything within its reach to sustain the fight against drug abuse with a view to reducing its prevalence to an insignificant level.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of Bayelsa State Drug Abuse Addiction Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee, Dr. Peter Owonaro, said through the support of the state government, the committee has been able to reduce the prevalence of drug abuse and promised to consolidate on its achievements in combating the hydra-headed problem in the state.

Meanwhile, the country representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Cheikh Ousmane Touré, said Bayelsa State had been defined by its resilience and determination in the fight against illicit drugs so far.

Cheikh Touré noted the celebration of the day was to reaffirm the UNODC and stakehoders’ resolve to get around the problem of drugs, emphasizing that Bayelsa was pivotal to achieving the prevention of drug abuse in Nigeria.

The Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Mobisola Adeyeye also delivered a goodwill message through the South South Director of the agency, Mr. Chukwuma Oligbu at the event.