19th December, 2016
Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau on Monday declared war against “Gosokolo”, an illicit locally brewed alcoholic substance, in the state.
Lalong made the declaration at the opening of the National Drug law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) 2016 Command Officers’ Summit in Jos.
He said his administration had set in motion different strategies to fight the menace that was destroying the lives of people, particularly youths.
Such strategies he said, included drug abuse preventive education, arrest and prosecution as well as counseling and rehabilitation through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare.
The governor commended the NDLEA for introducing the Drug Free Club in all secondary schools across the state to step up and sustain the fight against the use of illicit drugs and psychotropic substances.
He also lauded the efforts of the agency for organising the summit that was geared toward repositioning it for effective and efficient performance for a drug-free Nigeria.
Earlier, Mr Muhammad Abdallah, Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, said that the thrust of the summit was a deliberate strategy to re-engineer the campaign against illicit drugs and psychotropic substances for enhanced performance.
Abdallah said that the summit was convened to enable commanders brainstorm and strategize on the best ways to combat drug menace in the country.
He said that at the end of the summit, commanders would be better equipped with the latest success strategies in drug control.
“I desire an agency that will be highly proactive and intelligence-driven, my vision is to create a platform for officers of the Agency to be adequately trained, well kitted and highly motivated for excellent performance,” he said.
The chairman further disclosed that efforts were currently at an advanced stage for the relocation of the NDLEA National Headquarters to the FCT and for the payment of accumulated allowances to officers.
The summit was organised for all commanders from the 36 states of the Federation.