Pubdate: Fri, 09 Apr 2004 Source: Daily Champion (Nigeria) Copyright: 2004 Daily Champion Contact: http://www.champion-newspapers.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3073 NIGERIA'S DRUG STATUS Lagos The recent classification of Nigeria by the United States of America (USA) as a transit camp for drug trafficking has once again thrown to question the seemingly hard earned reputation and achievement the country has recorded in battling the drug business in recent times. Before the latest position, Nigeria had been de-listed as one of the hot spots for drug trafficking due to the tremendous efforts of the government particularly through the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in combating the crime. The recent rating apparently goes to show that the country has suffered reverses in the effort to free herself from the drug trafficking entanglement. Only last year, the same American government gave Nigeria a clean bill of health. The country was certified a drug free nation. The latest classification barely 12 months after the initial verdict gives serious reasons for concern. There is therefore the need for concerted efforts to unearth what must have gone wrong in the fight against this cankerworm before it eats deep into the fabric of our society. We must find out what went wrong in the last 12 months to have changed the tremendous efforts that have been made in the fight against drug trafficking. That the country has largely been classified as a transit nation clearly shows that we do not produce but provide the courier for drugs from one destination to another. This therefore places additional and enormous responsibility on the NDLEA to continue to identify and shut down the inlets and outlets for the illicit trade. They have tried hard enough but the latest revelation shows that more has to be done to curtail the ingenuity of the traffickers in beating security checks especially at the borders. To effectively achieve this, the NDLEA and other security agencies must be adequately equipped both in material and manpower to discharge this enormous responsibility. The agency must be assisted in logistics to be able to dislodge the crime perpetrators. The effort is not to get the United States de-list the country once again but to effectively discourage the possible consumption and subsequent abuse of these dangerous drugs by our youths. Apart from leading to mental sickness and other forms of neuro-psychological imbalance, it also has a direct effect on the crime rate. Since the youths largely constitute the productive sector of any economy, no nation worth its salt can afford not to protect them from possible destruction through the consumption and abuse of drugs. The government should therefore not shy away from this reality. Closely related to this is the matter of money laundering from the proceeds of the illicit drug trade. This equally portends danger not only for the economy but also for the polity. The government must show more than a passing commitment if this war must be won and the country's good image restored. The United States verdict may not be the yardstick to determine the government's achievements in this area but since we have acknowledged them initially, we should not ignore the verdict delivered this time around. Instead the government through its agencies should do more to make the country free from the grip of drug traffickers. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake