1st October, 2023
A former member of the House of Representatives, Dr Francis Ottah Agbo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to sign the National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA) Amendment Bill 2023 into law while increasing funding for the agency to strengthen the fight against drug abuse and trafficking in the country.
Dr Agbo who is the immediate past Member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency made the call while speaking to journalists, shortly after he was conferred with a special recognition award by the Abuja chapter of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, (PSN).
The event was organized to celebrate World Pharmacists’ Day at the International Conference Centre, last Monday.
The award was conferred on Agbo in recognition of his fight against Drug Abuse as the Chairman of the Narcotic Drugs Committee in the 9th House of Representatives.
According to him, if the Bill is signed into law, the NDLEA will be empowered more in the battle against drug trafficking and abuse in the country.
He therefore advised the PSN to work with other stakeholders in the sector to ensure that the bill now on the table of the President is signed into law for the overall benefit of Nigerian society.
On the funding for the NDLEA, the former Rep noted that the NDLEA under the leadership of General Buba Marwa has proved that it can bark and bite and should be encouraged to bite harder with more resources.
He also advocated increased funding of agencies in the health sector, tax reliefs and other incentives to boost drug production in the country.
“We see drugs that come from China and Malaysia and we run after them. They use their local resources to do that, and we have enough of everything here in this country. We shouldn’t let the drug story to be like the palm oil story, where Malaysians came to Nigeria after our independence, got seedlings from us, and today, they’re the biggest exporter of palm oil. It is very shameful,” said the former lawmaker.
Dr. Agbo who expressed his appreciation to the Abuja chapter of PSN for recognising his contribution to the war against drugs said he will not relent in the fight against the scourge, even outside of the Green Chamber.
“First of all, I thank PSN for this special recognition. This diadem is dedicated to the people of Ado, Okpokwu, Ogbadibo Federal Constituency who voted for me overwhelmingly in the 2019 general election. This award will spur me to redouble my concerted effort in the War Against Drug Abuse,” he said.