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Author: Abdulwahab Deji

  • Group tasks ECOWAS leaders on drug abuse, illicit trafficking

    Group tasks ECOWAS leaders on drug abuse, illicit trafficking
    ECOWAS
    By Deji Abdulwahab
    Abuja, June 26, 2024 (NAN) The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Food and Cultural Festival has called on the leaders of ECOWAS countries to intensify efforts to reduce drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the continent.

     Its Country Representative and Director-General, Amb. Felix Ihonre, made the call at the National stakeholders preparatory meeting, in Observance of the 2024 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Day with the theme  “Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention” is globally observed on every June 26.

    Ihonre said that ECOWAS leaders should see the issue of drug abuse and illicit trafficking as a thing that was promoting violence, insurgency and banditry, saying that once they addressed it, there would be peace around ECOWAS.

    “We are calling on our leaders, heads of states and governments of the ECOWAS countries to intensify efforts with high level commitment to reducing drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

    “Once drug abuse and illicit trafficking are reduced, violence will also be reduced because most of the things that stimulate violence are drugs and it is difficult for you to have a violent agitator that does not take drug.

    “So, we want a situation where the Federal Government of Nigeria and her fellow 14 member countries of ECOWAS as well as their development partners around the world to see the issue of drug abuse and illicit trafficking as a thing that is promoting violence, insurgency and banditry.

    “Once all these things are addressed, I think there will peace around ECOWAS,” Ihonre said.

    According to him, for you to make sure that there is high level productivity of food in a country, there is need to provide peace among our farm settlements.

    On the issue of drug traffickers, he said  people trafficked in drugs they were not engaged or they looked for quick money.

    He urged government to see the issue of food and crop production as an alternative to drug and crime prevention.

    Ihonre said that theme of the 2024 international Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking titled “Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention” was apt.

    “This year becomes very important to the ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival, in the sense that it is talking of “Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention”. What are we preventing?

    “If we must prevent drug abuse, illicit trafficking and any kind of abuses, the first thing we must put on the table first is food. People have to feed, hunger prevention is a way of alleviating poverty.

    “Hunger prevention is a way of keeping people busy to fight the issue of drug. Secondly, drug such as cocaine, marijuana and others are things that are being produced by some farmers.”

    The director-general urged government and people in the agric sector to concentrate more food production by encouraging our farmers to plant plantation crop production and produce more food.

    This, he said, would prevent people from producing drugs or engaging in trafficking in drugs. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    ADA/ACA/IAA

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    Edited by Chidinma Agu/Isaac Aregbesola

  • Former senator advocates additional state for South East

    State

    By Deji Abdulwahab

    Abuja, June 25, 2024 (NAN) Sen. Chris Adighije, a former lawmaker who represented the Abia Central in the 2nd National Assembly, has called on the Federal Government to adopt the doctrine of necessity to create additional state in the South East.

    Adighije made the call in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

    According to him, if the additional state is created for South East, making the region to have six states, it will reflect the meaning and understanding of the old national anthem reintroduced to the polity.

    He emphasised the second stanza of the national anthem that: “Our flag shall be a symbol that truth and justice reign”.

    He said that he aligned with others, especially  the Apex Southeast socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo that had been advocating the creation of Anioma State

    According to him, the creation of Anioma state will bring to six, the number of states in the South East.

    It would be recalled that the creation of an additional state in the South East has taken a center stage in the National Assembly, with different groups suggesting different names.

    Also, the constitutional provision, especially Chapter 1, Section 8&9 has always been a major issue in the debate for the creation of additional state in the South East.

    Adighije said, “the Federal Government should over look the provisions of the 1999 constitution as amended and create an additional state in the South East with the doctrine of necessity.

    ”For truth and justice, and to build a nation where no zone is oppressed, the doctrine of necessity becomes expedient and ought to be invoked as has been in the case in the past when we had a constitutional crisis.

    “The creation of such state in the South East will bring to bare the meaning and understanding of the old national anthem reintroduced to the polity. It is here that the issue of truth and justice would make meaning.

    “And l also believe that the Anioma state is more apt for the South East in geography and culture.” (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    ADA/IAA

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    Edited by Isaac Aregbesola