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Malami, NASS seek better funding for NDLEA

By Alifa Daniel and Bridget Chiedu Onochie, Abuja
07 June 2016   |   2:32 am
Worried about the paltry sum of N100,000 running cost state offices of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) purportedly get monthly to fight the drug war ...
NDLEA

NDLEA

• Lawmakers decry N100,000 overhead for agency’s state offices

Worried about the paltry sum of N100,000 running cost state offices of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) purportedly get monthly to fight the drug war, a joint committee of the two chambers of the National Assembly is pushing the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice for more funding for the anti-narcotics agency.

Responding, the AGF, Abubakar Malami (SAN), expressed the need for better funding of the agency to enable it deliver optimally.

Represented by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Mr. Taiwo Abidogun, the minister assured that his ministry would ensure adequate allocation to the NDLEA in the 2017 budget.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Joshua Lidani, who led the lawmakers, described as worrisome the high level of drug trafficking in the country and NDLEA’s seeming incapability to confront the scourge headlong owing to shortfall in manpower and transportation, especially operational vehicles, boats and aircrafts.

According to Lidani, when the joint committee approached the Head of Service to request for more workers for the agency, they were told there was no cash backing for additional recruits.

He noted with regret that the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) got approval to recruit 7,000 employees recently just like other paramilitary outfits, wondering why the NDLEA was left out.

In his contribution, Chairman, House Committee on Narcotics, Eucharia Azodo, lamented that the agency, which currently has 4,900 officials to cover the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had to at times, go to effect arrest of drug peddlers with motorcycles popularly called Okada.

NDLEA Chairman, Col. Muhammed Mustapha Abdallah (rtd) in his remarks, noted that the establishment he inherited needed transformation in terms of human and material resources to enable it meet the expectations of Nigerians.

His predecessor and current Special Assistant to the AGF on Narcotics and Psychotropic Drugs, Alhaji Aminu Giade, also lent support for further recruitment in the agency.

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