The Anambra State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mr. Muhammad Idris says if Anambra State will attain a drug free society, opinion leaders from religious institutions, communities, non-governmental organizations and the private sector must make drug prevention activities a focal point of their policy direction.

Mr. Idris made the call at an event to mark United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit drug trafficking which is also serving as Lady Victoria Onyido NDLEA Quiz Competition Prize Giving Day.

The NDLEA State Commander, Mr Idris who decried the damage that drugs cause to the society and the unprecedented rate young people abuse drugs, said if nothing drastic and collective is done, the society will be damned.

David Okpokwasili reports that the NDLEA Commander in the State is confident that if all stakeholders join hands in the fight against drug abuse and take steps to re-orientate people’s perception of drug abuse, the war against drug abuse could be won.

Giving the scorecard of the Agency in Anambra since January 2020, Mr Idris revealed that the agency has successfully rehabilitated twenty-five drug dependent persons in the State, secured twenty convictions, prosecuting forty-eighty suspects at the Federal High Court and arrested eighty seven suspects with over seven hundred and ninety-seven-point-six- four-seven kilogrammes of different drug categories.
In his remarks at the event, Commissioner for Health and Chairman of the State Drug Control Committee, Dr Vincent Okpala, assured of the State Government’s continued support to the fight against drug abuse in Anambra State, while expressing optimism that when the rehabilitation centre for drug dependent users is completed, more people will be transformed and better integrated into the society.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Basic Education, Professor Kate Omenugha represented by a Director in the Ministry, Lady Vera Ogbalu asked the students who participated at different levels of competition to take the message against drug abuse to their communities and friends while stating that more drug free clubs will be established in all the schools in the State.

The Sponsor of the Lady Victoria Onyido NDLEA Quiz Competition and Traditional Ruler of Ogidi, Igwe Alex Onyido observed that even though alcohol is a socially acceptable drug, decried the increasing rate at which alcohol is now being abused which he said might not be unconnected to the recent spike in incidents of accidents and rape.
He called on the State Government to increase regulations on consumption of liquor and opening of beer parlours.

The 2020 Lady Victoria Onyido NDLEA Quiz Competition which was organized and wrapped up before schools were shut down because of the COVID-19 lockdown was won by Girls Secondary School Igboukwu while Community High School Nkwelle-Ezunaka came second and Girls Secondary School Awka came third.

The Winning Schools went home with mouth watering gifts including Laptops, thirty-two inches Television sets, industrial fans and other gift items.

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