The Federal Government on Friday urged the ECOWAS Commission to immediately implement an appropriate structure to check emerging illicit drug threats in the region.
This is in line with the Political Declaration on the Prevention of Drug Abuse, Illicit Drug Trafficking and Organised Crime in West Africa, signed by the Heads of State in 2008.
Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN), Nigeria’s Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, made the call at the 12th Inter-Ministerial Drug Coordinating Committee of ECOWAS at its commission in Abuja on Friday.
Malami was represented by the Ahmadu Giade, Special Assistant to the President on Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance, Ministry of Justice.
The minister recalled that the Heads of State similarly adopted and endorsed the Political Declaration and Regional Action Plan to Combat Illicit Drug Trafficking, Organised Crimes and Drug Abuse in West Africa.
He also said that the commission reformulated the action plan into a new ECOWAS Drug Action Plan to Address Illicit Drug Trafficking, Organised Crime and Drug Abuse from 2016 till 2020.
He said the action plan was currently being implemented.
He said: “At our individual state levels, the draft status report on the implementation on the ECOWAS Drug Action Plan clearly indicates that substantial achievements have been made both at the regional and national levels.
“The recommendation made in the Political Declaration to establish an appropriate structure under the direct supervision of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, is yet to be fully implemented.
“This should be noted for immediate implementation to check the emerging drug threats in the region.”
The minister said that drug trafficking fuelled other organised crimes such as money laundering, terrorist financing, violence among others, which demanded the concerted efforts at all levels.
He said the Federal Government had put measures in place to deal with the drug situation in the country.
He said: “The human resource capacity of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has been strengthened to be able to address drug abuse, illicit drug trafficking and related crimes.”
ECOWAS Commission President, Jean-Claude Brou, said the meeting was an opportunity to take stock of achievements made, challenges being faced and additional efforts required to address the menace in the region.
The commission’s president was represented by Dr Siga Jagne, Commissioner, Social Affairs and Gender.
Brou said: “I have no doubt that the outcome of this meeting will serve as an impetus to redoubling our efforts at the national, regional and international levels.”
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