Senior Special Assistant to the Abia State Governor on Due Process, Dr Oluebube A. Chukwu, has commended Governor Alex Otti for his bold stand against illicit drug abuse and his directive to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to intensify its fight against the menace.
Chukwu said the Governor’s insistence on stiffer penalties for drug offenders was a timely intervention that demonstrated his commitment to protecting vulnerable youths from the scourge of addiction and its devastating effects on families and society.
According to him, Otti’s leadership has continued to set a new standard for responsive governance by prioritising issues that directly affect young people, adding that tackling drug abuse was critical to securing a brighter future for Abia and Nigeria at large.
His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti OFR, had on August 20, 2025, called on the National Assembly to review existing laws and impose tougher sanctions on drug dealers and offenders, stressing that more than 90 per cent of crimes in the country were linked to drug use. He insisted that cracking down on drug cartels and curbing the supply of illicit substances was the surest way to reduce criminality.
“We just need to crack the drug cartel. So if you crack the drug cartel, then the crime disappears. Unfortunately, the law is a bit lenient on the use of drugs. When you apprehend somebody using drugs, you counsel him, you rehabilitate him. That’s not enough punishment,” Otti stated.
The Governor assured the new Abia NDLEA Commandant, Mr Joseph Owoputi, of his administration’s full support and announced the approval of two new Hilux vans to aid the agency’s operations. He stressed that beyond punishment, his government was committed to helping vulnerable youths break free from addiction.
Earlier, Owoputi had lauded the Governor as a dependable ally of the NDLEA, disclosing that between June and August, the Command arrested 65 suspects and seized 82 kilogrammes of illicit substances. He added that seven convictions had been secured within the period, while 38 individuals were undergoing counselling and rehabilitation at the agency’s facility.
Dr. Chukwu urged lawmakers, community leaders, Faith base organizations and civil society groups to rally behind Governor Otti’s initiative, noting that winning the war against drugs would secure the destinies of countless young people who risk being lost to addiction if nothing was done.
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