Hard Drugs: Marwa Unveils a New Battle Strategy

The war on drugs is not new because many countries throughout the world have developed plans to shield their citizens from the devastation caused by these deadly substances.

The globe was perplexed in the late 1980s when the United States of America (USA) sent security personnel to Columbia to combat the manufacturing of cocaine, which was mostly being trafficked to the USA.

The companies that process the tubers into powder and cracks, as well as the plantations where the plant is grown, were thoroughly investigated by security personnel.

As a result of the conflict, Columbia shipped less to the United States.

Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has been destroying and seizing cannabis sativa crops since the beginning.

The current Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), has developed a novel approach to combat drug cultivation and trafficking in the nation.

Similar to how he launched the Keke Marwa tricycle to alleviate transportation issues while serving as Lagos’ Military Administrator, Marwa has developed a new plan, dubbed the Alternative Development Initiative, to deter cannabis sativa cultivation throughout the nation.

The planters receive seedlings and farm equipment to start growing legal crops in their communities, making this approach comprehensive in both design and execution.

The former Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa disclosed that the initial beneficiaries of the project’s pilot program are former cannabis sativa growers during his presentation last Tuesday in Akure, the capital of Ondo State.

He pointed out that the parents’ illegal transaction was preventing their children from attending school, endangering their futures.

They were afraid that their children would be used as a means of tracking them by drug law enforcement.

Additionally, they kept their kids in the secret huts so that their classmates wouldn’t make fun of them for their parents’ illicit business.

The children of the erstwhile cannabis sativa growers now have a safe future because to the new law passed by the Buba Marwa-led NDLEA.

Since their parents are no longer living the life of a fugitive, they are now able to enroll in public schools and move about freely.

Given the agency’s partnership with IITA, observers during the scheme’s debut observed that the initiative would survive Marwa’s administration, similar to the Keke Marwa.

They added that the NDLEA leader had been communicating with the former cannabis sativa producers for more than a year before to the scheme’s launch on Tuesday of last week, indicating that it is not a crash program.

The pilot program was selected for three villages with the goal of eventually expanding it to other areas of the nation where cannabis sativa is grown.

The decision to launch the pilot program in the state that is known to be the biggest producer of the illegal narcotic, according to social commentators, stinks of being ready to make it a success.

The audience’s questions during the pilot program’s introduction also showed how eager people are to get started if they want to.

They were thrilled when Marwa said that the plan encompasses not just agriculture but also fishing, poultry, and animal husbandry.

“We are not talking only of switching crops, we have to go beyond that to actually develop the communities to give them sustainable livelihoods in terms of the farm inputs, roads, water, clinics, and schools,” Marwa further reassured the contrite farmers.

“And ready markets, of course.” Make sure there are ready markets.They want to be sure there is a market when they expand.

The plan was spiced up by the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who pledged to give NDLEA land and seedlings to help the project.

Observers observed that several cannabis sativa growers will willingly leave the illegal trade and join the plan in response to the agency’s alluring offer.

The drug czar promised that any illegal plant producers and dealers who are prepared to ditch the trade would be welcomed into the initiative and included without being detained or charged.

He promised that no one will be arrested using the project as a dishonest means.

Drug lords profit greatly from the illegal trade, a well-known fact that is detrimental to society and the health of some citizens.

According to Marwa, investigations have shown that these barons solely use the growers’ tools while giving them a pitiful sum to enjoy their ill-gotten fortune while lounging in their city palaces.

According to the head of NDLEA, investigations have also shown that the growers are unaware of their employer. The cartel was found to be loosely connected but extremely well-organized.

It was noted during the launch that Marwa was not fighting the war alone because other groups from Europe, Asia, and America were working with him to make it successful.

When NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who served as a compere at the launch, informed the audience that some representatives from organizations and agencies providing technical assistance to the agency would send goodwill messages through video calls, it was assumed that these individuals would be some of the agency’s boss’s friends and associates.

The NDLEA boss’s new measure revealed that numerous combatants on the drug fronts around the world were in contact with him.

In their responses, the callers expressed confidence in Marwa’s strategy to combat the war by addressing the underlying causes of drug cultivation and trafficking.

As it provides illegal cannabis producers with sustainable livelihoods, analysts claim that the Alternative Development Initiative will address poverty, hunger, unemployment, environmental degradation, and instability.

At the Town Hall meeting, which was attended by monarchs and other important national players, Marwa informed the crowd that the agency is shifting from enforcement to empowerment.

Instead of using enforcement, he always intended to use empowerment.

In order for “NDLEA to no longer be enemies but friends with the communities,” communities were also urged to organize groups to combat illegal drugs and support the agriculture initiative.

The project was not thrown at the communities because, according to the NDLEA boss, it offers a chance for interaction between the NDLEA and communities engaged in illicit cropping. However, the offer is limited to communities that are sincere and willing to switch from growing illegal crops like cannabis to growing legal crops.

The head of the NDLEA personally visited the three communities selected for the pilot program to speak to the locals and launch the project.

Traditional leaders expressed their enthusiasm for the idea and proclaimed their support for it.

After noticing that the current legal system’s harsh measures are insufficient to deter barons and peddlers from engaging in the illegal business, Marwa revealed that he has asked the National Assembly to revise the legislation.

He said that if lawmakers were to approve this into law, the minimum penalty for using drugs would be 25 years in prison without the possibility of a fine.

15 million Nigerians are using hard drugs, according to the 2018 UN drug usage report, which made Marwa desperate to take drug lords and dealers to their knees.

The users, who range in age from 15 to 64, claim that this is almost three times the average for the world.

His grievance is the terrible effects that drug usage has had on several families, communities, and criminal activity.

Terrorists have been found to reside among cannabis-growing tribes in the deep forests, according to intelligence sources.

This is not acceptable to him, Mara stated angrily.

However, observers urged all parties involved to assist the agency in its efforts to eradicate hard narcotics from the country.

In order to alleviate the agency’s serious pressure, lawmakers were charged with reviewing drug legislation as quickly as possible.