The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Buba Marwa (retd.), has warned that there will be no room for internal sabotage in the renewed war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
Marwa gave the warning in his remarks at the passing out ceremony of an additional 2,500 cadets of Senior Officers Basic Course 16 on Thursday at the NDLEA Academy, Jos Plateau State.
In a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA boss reminded the gathering that the ceremony completed the addition of 5,000 personnel to the NDLEA workforce while he charged them to make their impact felt.
Addressing the recruits, Marwa said, “I must prepare your minds for the task ahead of you. The duties are such that there is no room for compromising the ethics of your profession or subverting the goals of the organisation. In our renewed campaign against illicit drugs, we are at a stage of ramped-up interdiction against cannabis, opioids, and other psychoactive substances. We cannot afford to decelerate our effort and we will not tolerate sabotage from within. What that means is that the injection of an additional 5, 000 officers must have an immediate and far-reaching impact on the campaign. In other words: everyone must make their effort count.”
He said the passing out ceremony, coming after months of rigorous training, “is one of the manifestations of the ongoing restructuring in the agency.”
“Having another batch of 5, 000 officers to strengthen our workforce will assuredly give the needed impetus to the fight against the abuse and trafficking of illicit substances. In the tradition of our noble organisation and according to global best practices, this batch of officers has been trained to be efficient drug law enforcement agents. They have spent the past four months in training, where they have learnt the intricacies of drug law enforcement and know that their job demands sacrifice, loyalty, and discipline. I have no doubt that they are aware of their position as an important cog in the law and order system of society.”
