The massive infrastructural decay in the Rivers State command headquarters of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has in no small measures, hampered operations by men and women of the command.
To effectively discharge its duties, the Agency needs a long list of equipment ranging from utility vehicles, communication gadgets, protective equipment and the most important – a conducive working environment for the coordination of its various operations.
The NDLEA in Rivers State has three different commands: the Port command which is in charge of the Port Harcourt Port; the Airport command which oversees the Port Harcourt International Airport and the State command which oversees the rest of the state and its 23 local government areas.
Each of the three commands has different Commanders in charge of its affairs although they work hand in hand when the need arises, the state command has not been performing optimally due to decaying conditions of its infrastructure and lack of equipment.
The NDLEA which is tasked primarily with ridding the society of illicit drug activities has a vision to become the most proactive and leading Drug Law Enforcement Agency on the African Continent and one of the best in the world through the provision of effective and efficient services to Nigerians by cutting off the supply of illicit drugs, reducing the demand for illicit drugs and other substances of abuse, tracing and recovering drug-related proceeds and contributing to the creation and maintenance of an enviable image for the Nation throughout the world.
On its mission statement, the agency states that it shall deploy all resources at its disposal for the total eradication of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; suppression of demand for illicit drugs and other substances of abuse; recovery of ill-gotten wealth, acquired from proceeds of illicit drug trade, protection, enhancement and maintenance of the image of Nigeria and Nigerians at home and abroad.
However, given the rise in drug abuse by the youths in the country and the increase in drug-related activities in the state, the command has been unable to discharge its duties effectively due to lack of much-needed infrastructure and equipment necessary for it to carry out its duties.
For instance, the command which oversees a state of over five million residents has just one operational vehicle. This has made the command redundant and inactive in the discharge of its duties. Critical equipment is lacking and the command has heavily resorted to self-help so as to perform its duties.
The command’s headquarters can be best described as a forest in the middle of the city with no effective parameter fencing, thereby leaving the building unsecured given the role it plays in illicit drug activities and arrest of perpetrators.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Emmanuel Ọgbụmgbada, told theportcitynews.com that the Agency is facing numerous gross inadequacies which are hindering the Agency’s optimum performance.
In an exclusive interview with Theportcitynews.com, the PRO stated that the agency has just one operational vehicle for their patrol and this hinders operation as it stops officers of the command from going after the numerous drug-related activities in the state.
Although the command boasts of other Divisional offices in the state, they are also plagued by lack of equipment that will enable them to discharge their responsibilities effectively, he explained.
“NDLEA has quite enormous challenges, we do not have an adequate operational vehicle to carry out our operations. Having just one vehicle to carry out all the activities of the day is quite inadequate” he lamented.
Although he did not provide many clarifications on the issue of staffing, the officers seem ready to perform save for the challenges posed by equipment inadequacies.
He also noted that the building is in dire need of renovation and the environment is not conducive for the staff, pointing out that sections of the command headquarters have begun dilapidating due to lack of renovation, adding that the situation is more than what the command can do with funds available at its disposal.
“The working environment needs serious rehabilitation. For example, we need to renovate our parameter fencing in order to secure lives and properties in our care. The conference hall too is in shambles and the roof is leaking, so as a result, it hasn’t been in use for some years now.
“The painting on the whole building have all peeled off and the building itself is quite old.
” We call on the Rivers state government, private individuals and companies to help us in order to make it easy for us to carry out our duties,” he said.
