Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has expressed the readiness of his administration to partner with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in its efforts towards curbing crime and endemic trafficking of illicit drugs in the country to salvage the nation’s image and economic growth.The governor made the commitment while receiving the management team of the Enugu State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), led by its Commander, Mr. Ohanyere Anthony Nkem, at the Government House, Enugu.Gov. Ugwuanyi who commended the agency for its success story so far in the war against various drug related crimes in the country, noted that illicit drug trafficking and consumption have done the nation’s image and economy more harm and require the collaboration of all relevant stakeholders to stamp them out in the country.He assured the agency of the willingness of his administration to offer all necessary assistance that would enable it and other crime fighting agencies to effectively discharge their duties, stressing that there is urgent need to strategize in order to curb the menace in the country.Earlier in his address, the State Commander of NDLEA, Mr. Ohanyere regretted that inspite of all the frantic efforts made in the global war against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking, the menace has been on a progressive increase.He told the governor that there visit was also anchored on the need to “chart a road map for the mutual cooperation that we require for effective service delivery to the government and the people of Enugu State, particularly in the war against illicit drugs and crime in general”.Ohanyere noted that Enugu as a critical State in the fight against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking due to its “proximity with the most serious drugs producing states in the country and its status of an international airport”, makes it imperative for the agency to increase its efforts towards the war against drug menance and seek the support and collaboration of the state government.He requested for the inclusion of the agency as member of the State Security Council in consideration of its sensitive roles in the fight against crimes in the state, noting that all hands need to be on deck to tackle the security challenges in the state in particular and the country in general.
