Pubdate: Wed, 05 Jan 2005
Source: Vanguard (Nigeria)
Copyright: 2005 Vanguard.
Contact:  http://www.vanguardngr.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2890
Author: Evelyn Usman

STANDARD TRUST BANK JOINS WAR AGAINST HARD DRUG

STANDARD Trust Bank PLC has joined in the crusade to rid the nation
off hard drug consumption and trafficking, as it has invested an
unspecified percentage of its profit in 2004, on public enlightenment
campaigns against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

The bank's involvement according to its Managing Director Chief
Executive Officer, Mr Tony Elumelu who dropped the hint at the flag
off ceremony of the Drama series and Jingles on illicit drug
trafficking and abusesaid their action was necessitated following the
increasing involvement of youths who would in future handle the
affairs of the nation and being looked up to as leaders of tomorrow ,
get involve, in this illicit drug business.

Managing DirectorChief Executive officer of STB, Mr Tony Elumelu who
made the disclosure at the flag off ceremony of the Drama series and
jingles on illicit drug Trafficking and Abuse held at the National
Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) headquarters Ikoyi, expressed
fears that if left unconfronted, the misuse of hard drugs especially
by youths , was capable of wiping off the nation's generation.

Drugs he said, "is like a dangerous serpent that has crept into a
family house in which we all live in ,in such a house, no one will
sleep, there can be no peace until the snake is squarely dealt with.
Our determination is therefore beyond the mere call for social
responsibility that has now become a fad and a buzz word for social
relevance . Ours is a matter of national survival and an
intergenerational call for taking responsibility -the youths, the
highly placed, the powerful, the weak, the poor and the rich. All must
cherish the dream of a drug free nation".

He pointed out that in order to achieve this goal, there was need for
other corporate bodies to support NDLEA which he said had gallantly
stuck its neck and had even lost some of its men in the course of
carrying out the onerous task.

Earlier in his address, chairman of NDLEA, Alhaji Bello Lafiaji who
commended STB for its gesture said the forgoing was to put succinctly
why businesses can not just close their eyes and consider drug war as
the exclusive reserve of the agency", stressing that drugs was capable
of depleting a work force when a good number of the personnel indulge
in drug abuse.

According to him, "Activities of miscreants resulting from drug abuse
include production of defective products, perpetration of fraud, armed
robbery and banditry on business sites and on products in stock or
transit", advising that sight must not be lost of the economic
distortions and loss by local manufacturers on account of the
nefarious activities of money laundering perpetrators through reckless
use of drug proceeds and the concealment of same through the financial
system.

Lafiaji who was represented by Mr Dave Ashan announced the
commencement of the public enlightenment campaign which is in the form
of Television mini-serial and radio jingles on Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking, sponsored by STB. The television drama which are in three
segments are; Boomerang, Encounter and Full circle , according to him,
would appear every Sunday on all television stations on their prime
time evening belt, while the jingle will feature on at least twelve
radio stations, taking cognisance of the six geopolitical regions.
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MAP posted-by: Derek