…Poor Funding, Inadequate Manpower Hamper Agency’s Operations
By Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Despite recording great success in recent years in the areas of checking the proliferation and abuse of banned and controlled drugs, arrest and prosecution of drug offenders and rehabilitation of drug dependent persons, the Rivers State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is facing a plethora of challenges.
The most pronounced of these challenges are poor funding of the agency, inadequate manpower, lack of logistics, among others. The logistics problems are such that the Command can only boast of one operational vehicle, which was donated to it by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
It appears that these challenges became more pressing since the inception of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. For instance, TPCN gathered that since 2015, the federal government has been finding it difficult to release funds to the agency, especially for logistics, which is slowing down the operations of the various state commands, including that of Rivers State.
As a result of this financial handicap, the NDLEA cannot recruit new intakes, resulting in lack of adequate manpower despite the many responsibilities the agency needs to cover. TPCN gathered that specifically, the NDLEA has not recruited in the past seven years. Ironically, the agency’s responsibilities are expanding on daily basis, with more youths going into drug trafficking because of lack of jobs and others getting involved in drug abuse as a result of frustration in the face of hardship and bad economy.
TPCN gathered that specifically, the NDLEA has not recruited in the past seven years. Ironically, the agency’s responsibilities are expanding on daily basis, with more youths going into drug trafficking because of lack of jobs and others getting involved in drug abuse as a result of frustration in the face of hardship and bad economy.
TPCN also gathered that specifically, the NDLEA has not recruited in the past seven years. Ironically, the agency’s responsibilities are expanding on daily basis, with more youths going into drug trafficking because of lack of jobs and others getting involved in drug abuse as a result of frustration in the face of hardship and bad economy.
However, these challenges notwithstanding, the Rivers State Command of the NDLEA is still making great impact as it carries out its operations with the meager resources at its disposal, many a time depending on the goodwill and philanthropy of well meaning individuals and corporate organizations to carry out its activities.
In a chat with TPCN on Wednesday, the PRO of the NDLEA, Rivers State Command, Mr Emmanuel Ogbumbada, who spoke on behalf of the State Commander, Amb. Rachael Shelleng, revealed that between January and April this year, the Command has arrested 70 drug suspects , 58 of whom are males while 12 are females.
He said during the period under review, the Rivers State Command also seized 42.540 kg of banned substances and controlled drugs such as cocaine, heroine, tramadol, codein, cannabis setira (marijuana), among others.
He further revealed that the Command also successfully convicted 9 drug offenders during the period under review. According to him, the Command also successfully rehabilitated 6 drug dependent persons from different states and released them to their families to contribute to the development of the society.
According to him, the Command also successfully rehabilitated 6 drug dependent persons from different states and released them to their families to contribute to the development of the society.
Explaining further, he said the Command provides after-care services which includes monitoring the rehabilitated persons to ensure that they do not go back to drug, adding that the Command renders the service with its facilities free of charge despite its logistics challenges and poor funding.
The NDLEA Rivers State Command PRO called on youths to shun drug abuse in order not to jeopardize their future.
He added: “Time has come for youths to take over leadership and only those with sound minds can lead. Therefore, our youths should do away with drug abuse in order to have the capacity to lead aright. Drug abuse is a bad thing. It is always difficult to get out of it when you are in it. Those already in it should seek help from institutions that can help to rehabilitate them.”
