NIGERIANS, REP EXCITED WITH SIGNING OF NDLEA AMENDMENT BILL

***Lauds Buhari Legislators

Reports indicate that President Muhammedu Buhari has accented to the amendmentd to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA 2023:.the first amendment since the NDLEA was established in 1989; the via Decree No. 48.
It may be recalled that, there has been widespread calls for the review of the Act following emergent trends in the trafficking of non-conventional drugs and narcotics.
Both chambers of the National Assembly took up the challenge and speedily amended the Act, prompting pressures on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the amendments.
Our correspondent reports that, a cross section of Nigerians, including the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Francis Ottah Agbo has meanwhile expressed pleasure with the signing of amended Act.
Agbo praised both chambers of the National Assembly, especially his colleagues in the Green Chamber, and the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan for their support in the War Against Drugs Abuse.
Agbo also lauded the Chairman of NDLEA, General Bubs Marwa Rtd and all Staff of the agency for their hard work, passionate commitment and collaboration with the House Narcotic Drugs Committee.
“To the CNA, my committee members and the Secretariat led by the clerk, I say a big thank you for tolerating the excessive pressure I mounted on you in the last 40 days to ensure that the bill came out clean and forwarded to President Muhammedu Buhari for his assent”, he added.
According to the committee chairman, the successful amendment of the Act, makes the NDLEA an effectively bark and bite agency.
“With the amendment of the Act”, he added, “the international community and particularly the UNODC will take Nigeria more seriously in the War Against Drugs Abuse (WADA) and trafficking”, calling on the WADA should be a collaborative partner in the fight.
He sees the next step as the responsibility of all Nigerians “if we must clear the doubt of the drug barons and traffickers, for if we fail to destroy drug abuse, it will kill Nigeria”, Agbo warned.
He however expressed displeasure with the exclusion if the clause which would have made it compulsory for candidates of political parties, public servants generally, prospective high institution Students, Police, Military/ Paramilitary personnel, pilots, drivers and people in the service sector to undergo routine drug test.
He faulted the argument that the said provision would have been antithetical to human rights, saying he reserved his views for another day.
“With the successful amendment of the Act, my colleagues and I have deepened the war against Narcotic Drugs scourge. We can now posture with legislative swagger as I bow out of the National Assembly on June 13th, 2023”, Agbi said.