Substance abuse spree: The hydra headed quandary to Nigeria’s development: Any mitigation options?

A Paper Presented At The 2021 Conference And Annual General Meeting Of The International Society Of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) Nigeria.

By

Michael O. Ezenwa, Ph.D. Professor of Clinical Psychology, President Nigerian Psychological Association, and Southeast Zonal Coordinator, International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP).
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences Nnamdi Azikiwe University
Email. mo.ezenwa@unizik.edu.ng

Introduction
In the preface to the Executive Summary of the 2021 World Drug Report, The Executive Director of UNODC has this to say.
‘Drug use killed almost half a million people in 2019, while drug use disorders resulted in 18 million years of healthy life lost, mostly due to opioids. Serious and often lethal illnesses are more common among drug users, particularly those who inject drugs, many of whom are living with HIV and Hepatitis C.’

Source

Ghada Waly, Executive Director United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. World Drug Report 2021 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.21.XI.8)
‘I need to top up, shine my eyes to avoid the impending gloomy feelings’ were the words of Abiodun Eze Babangida Talfida, a 27-year-old quarry worker hereafter called Abiodun. He makes a telephone call to Mr. Mustapha, his link man for the supply of Mkpuru Mmiri, a type of psychoactive substance that has become second nature to Abiodun. Although Mustapha just secured a supply, the price per unit of the Mkpuru Mmiri has gone up drastically to almost double. Abiodun has almost no option as his hands had already become shaky, his mood nauseating to say the least and some uneasiness was griping him increasingly. He queried Mustapha on the sudden hike in price but the latter was reluctant to explain. He reminded Abiodun that Mkpuru Mmiri never had a steady price as it depended on the ‘settlement’ along the supply route. ‘You are aware that when ndi eke (security agencies) and their cohort increase the price of passage, it is usually transferred to the last consumer’, Mustapha stuttered.

As Abiodun’s discomfort was getting to an intolerable level, he asked Mustapha to supply him at the stated price and decided to sell his iPhone handset worth over two hundred thousand naira at the cost of twenty thousand naira to a co-worker as he had no money on him or in his bank. In a moment, the Mkpuru Mmiri landed through the vendor and Abiodun quickly withdrew to the closet to take his pill. He had no regrets for selling his handset below the market price nor did he care that he may need the phone for an important call.

The above scenario is the case of a young man who was addicted to a substance popularly called Mkpuru Mmiri (suspected to be methamphetamine) against medical advice due to his declining liver and lung health. He dropped from secondary school following family and personal challenges as the father was an addict which influenced the family atmosphere. Mother was temperamental that resulted in regular clashes with the husband. She did not tolerate the man’s ‘excesses’ especially his occasional absence from home and humiliation from neighbours over the husband’s substance dependence. Otherwise a hardworking woman, she criticised the husband before the children, openly and gave the impression that he (the husband) was childish, wicked, and voluntarily refused to stop his addiction. She believed that a simple decision was enough to stop drug dependence immediately if the husband ever willed it.

The case of Abiodun is replete in many Nigerian families, especially among young men and women. It shows how desperate an addicted person can be to access the substance of abuse. The desperation becomes a precursor to criminal activities and or the risk of exploitation by drug suppliers and other persons to whom they may sell things of value or ask for money in exchange for anything sometimes humiliating errands. Often they are helplessly penniless especially when they have lost their jobs or means of livelihood due to dependence-related factors. Their life can be miserable because they have conditioned their brains to function only with the drugs of dependence. This is why they have to use, use and use. They are therefore sick as one with Malaria, Encephalitis, or Ebola virus that need urgent attention not condemnation. What is more, they currently run in millions in Nigeria. The most recent national household survey shows that about 14.3% of the population abused substances (UNODC, 2018).
For ease of understanding, let us look at what is drug and drug or substance abuse. Note that drugs and substances may be used interchangeably in this paper.

We first define a drug as a chemical substance which when injected into the body, can change cellular reactions. In other words, a drug can change the course of cellular activities from routine metabolic and homeostatic regulations to detoxification and other directions. Drugs can be grouped in many ways such as their structure, place of action, etc. A central nervous system (CNS) drug acts on the Central Nervous System (CNS) to influence its activities. The CNS organises, controls, and regulates all body functions including cognition and behaviour. Therefore drugs that act on the CNS can interfere with thinking, perception, mood, and affect as well as overall behaviour. They are otherwise called psychoactive drugs defined as those substances that can affect mental processes when injected into the body. https://www.who.int/health-topics/drugs downloaded 21.10 2021.

Given these properties to change sensation, perception, mood, or emotions, these substances are prone to abuse due to human inclination to pleasure and the desire for pleasurable experiences to be frequent and long-lasting.

Drug abuse

This simply refers to the use of a substance against standard protocol whether of prescription or non-prescription drug. This may include use above quantity in number and milligram, duration, a mixture of known drugs and other substances, or any combination of these. When use has become problematic, an integral part of the individual’s functioning, evidencing the drug use has become part of the basal metabolism with or without obvious undesirable social, economic, and health consequences, the term drug dependence becomes appropriate. In this situation, the craving becomes an additional problem from drug effects on the individual.

Indeed, pleasure-seeking and avoidance of pain is a basic human motive (Freud, 1949). Paradoxically, these pleasure-giving substances come simultaneously with major negative health and psychosocial threatening consequences. For instance in 2019 alone, WHO reported that over 180,000 deaths were directly linked to drug use disorders. https://www.who.int/health-topics/drugs downloaded 21.10 2021.
Having introduced the concepts of drug and drug abuse, we hereby note that our discussion in this paper will focus essentially on psychoactive substances. As already indicated, drugs can be categorised differently. Below is one of such categorisations based on effect to roughly demonstrate some psychoactive drug characteristics and risk factors.
Table 1. Classification of CNS Drug Groups Using Effects
Drug group Major characteristics Risk factors Stimulants, Stimulates or increases muscular/motor and mental/sensory activities Over-stimulation, heightened alertness, wakefulness, death. May also disrupt housekeeping (immunological) functions, cause agitation, and nervous breakdown.

Depressants Slows down body functions generally. Reduces motor and sensory functions, lowers energy level. Unusual tiredness, unconsciousness, depressed mood, low motivation, and energy, anhedonia, sleep pattern disruption, vomiting, death, suicide.

Hallucinogens Distortion of perception/reality. Hallucination, false sense of competence, energy or ability, Paranoia, unprovoked aggression, mood swing, high blood pressure, illogical or bizarre mentation, depression.

Substance Abuse Spree

The word spree connotes an action that is done in a significant, sustained, seemingly uncontrollable, and therefore often socially unacceptable manner. Thus when we talk of a drinking spree, shopping spree, gaming spree, or betting spree, we mean that these activities are performed in a way that excess rather than need or moderation is the rule with significant negative consequences for the individual and community. Substance abuse spree, therefore, is the significant illicit use of substances that have become frequent and widespread with massive individual, group, family educational, economic, social, health, and community implications. It includes a situation where many members of a community feel the impact of drug abuse either directly as users, relations of users, or affected community members who although they do not use substances, are affected by the activities of users.

Drawing from the foregoing, a substance use spree connotes some degree of substance use binge in which the immense number of people engage in excessive use and consequent dependence on drugs or substances to such a degree that developmental penalty becomes overarching for any meaningful progress. This is the situation in Nigeria as both users and non-users suffer though differently from the effects of massive population involvement.

Nigeria has a large percentage of its productive workforce engulfed in a substance use spree with significant impacts on national security, social systems, health, gross domestic product, education, youth development and quality of life. The situation has become worse following the advent of the Corona Virus (COVID 19) that has ravaged the world since late December 2019.

Apart from death, COVID 19 has affected livelihood, business, and economy with consequent job losses and associated mental health challenges. Chukwuorji and Iorfa (2020) reported evidence of fear-induced behavioural changes among sampled Nigerians as a result of the pandemic in addition to economic and social challenges with adverse mental health implications following lockdown and other restrictions. For individuals and families confronted by substance use, the situation is more serious than can be inferred.

DRUG ABUSE SITUATION IN NIGERIA

Nigeria is the most heavily populated black country in the world, the most populous in Africa, and the 7th most populous in the world with an estimated population of over 206 million people. (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Dynamics, 2019). Indeed, Nigeria is one of the nine countries projected to account for more than 50% of world population growth by 2050. Other countries in this category are the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States of America (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Dynamics, 2019). Rapid population growth portends great challenges to sustainable development and means of livelihood especially without corresponding technology to boost agriculture, social services, security, educational and technological infrastructure. More especially, population growth rate has great implications for human capital development, life expectancy, dependent population ratio, and quality of life and life expectancy. If a good percentage of the active population is involved in substance use as is the case in contemporary Nigeria, these aforementioned human development indices will become low with multiplier downward influence on gross domestic product, unemployment, psychosocial challenges, insecurity, with associated mental and physical health issues.
Ladies and gentlemen, current experience in many schools and work settings show a high level of drug use, drug dependence, and drug use disorder especially among young people in Nigeria.

Drug use often translates to a disturbance in thought and attention which directly predicts poor judgement. When poor judgement is introduced into driving for instance, it translates to high speed, dangerous overtaking, inaccurate estimation of distance all resulting in road traffic accidents, from which many families become orphans, widows, and widowers, many citizens develop permanent secondary disabilities, goods, and services in transit become damaged, people become jobless following secondary/ road accident disabilities, many developmental health disorders including posttraumatic stress and or anxiety disorders result.

People who use drugs in school may have a greater risk of falling asleep in class, non-execution, or completion of school assignments and may be prone to violence all of which predict poor academic performance, the danger of dropout, and general low academic outcomes. Students who use substances may also be at high risk of sexual exposure, unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS and may waste many lived experiences.

Furthermore, an important area of concern is the frequent transition of users from drug use to drug dependence especially in more severely impacting drugs where individuals can do all manner of illegal things to sustain addiction. Recall the case of Abiodun above. Drug craving is the basis for addiction and relapse and many drug-dependent persons have reported involvement in at least a crime (UNODC, 2018; Obot, 2019). The spate of violent crime in the country therefore may be connected with a high rate of drug use.

In discussing the drug situation in Nigeria, it will be important to x-ray some of the key findings from the UNODC (2018) household survey which remain the most current comprehensive data on the drug situation in Nigeria.

Review of the first comprehensive national household survey in Nigeria(UNODC) 2018.
We already noted from the foregoing that the annual prevalence of illegal drug use in Nigeria was estimated at 14.4% which translates to about 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15 to 64 that abuse drugs (see also Obot, 2019), a figure far higher than the 2016 global drug use prevalence rate of 5.6%. Cannabis sativa was the most commonly abused substance in Nigeria represented by 10.6 million users out of which one in three users was dependent. Opioids, the second most abused substance by 4.6 million people had one in every five users with drug dependence. Pharmaceutical opoinods were also identified as the most abused prescription drug in Nigeria. The abuse of opioids is progressively more significant as a global quandary accounting for more than 70 percent of the malady associated with drug use disorders. The third in the series was codeine-containing cough syrups abused by 2.4 million Nigerian among others.

One obvious implication of the above data is the large number of persons that have dependence/addiction that require treatment and therefore unlikely to be contributing optimally to national development in addition to other social, economic and interpersonal challenges associated with addiction. Indeed, the report showed that major
social challenges including disturbance in family lives, failure in
productivity and forensic issues were associated with involvement in substance use (see also Obot, 2019). Indeed, the productive force aged 25- 39 used the highest level of substance in the previous year , a threat to sustained economic activities in the nation’s workforce. Many high risk drug users acknowledged having some drug use-related health concerns such as substance use disorders and other comorbid conditions.

Furthermore, many of the study participants expressed the need for treatment but could not access same for some reasons including insufficient treatment facilities. Globally, seven out of eight people that needed treatment due to drug use disorder remained without adequate treatment ( UNODC, 2021).

In a similar development Ezenwa et al (2019) reported 47.4 % of persons who abused tramadol and 30% of those that abused codeine containing mixtures who were sampled in Enugu State Nigeria indicated the need for treatment. Unfortunately, 47.5 % and 50% of tramadol and codeine users respectively did not know where to go for assistance. This is one major challenge confronting drug abuse treatment in Nigeria at the moment compounded by already established problems of stigmatization and cost of rehabilitation where the facilities exist.

In addition, about one in eight people from the general population had been affected negatively following other persons’ involvement in substance use.
Beyond the foregoing, the report found some relationship between drug use and crime. Almost one quarter of high risk drug users had forensic experience related to their involvement with drugs while 73% have been arrested for different reasons including drug possession. About 12% of the high risk drug users have been arrested for theft, sex work, 5%, burglary 4% and shoplifting 2%. The foregoing is not surprising given that many drug dependent individuals often do not maintain work and may commit crime to fund addiction.

As already noted, it is believed that the high rate of violent crime in Nigeria may not be unrelated to increase drug use prevalence. A Nigerian newspaper report of 21st October, 2019
(https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/10/ndlea-surviving-on-charity-as-lawmakers-move-to-grant-agency-autonomy/ ) claimed that the current security challenges in Nigeria are all drug induced.

Brief insight into World drug report for 2020 (UNODC, 2020)
The annual report put the estimated number of people that suffered drug use disorder at 35 million people. Apart from the compounding impact of COVID19 manifest in movement restrictions, economic downturn and increased mental health challenges, deaths from opioids abuse have been on the increase as up as 71% in with women accounting for 92% of the rise against 63% by male. Drug use increased more among young people (adolescents and young adults) and significantly in developing countries with strong negative implications for economic and social development.

THE WEST AFRICAN EPIDEMIOLOGY NETWORK ON DRUG USE (WENDU) REPORT (WENDU, 2021).

Again, the report showed that more young people aged 15 to 44 years abused drugs compared to older population and accounted for 87.9 percent of the population in treatment and as such represented the highest population of drug burden. Individuals aged 10 to 29 years accounted for 57 percent of people in treatment in 2018 and 2019 while 2/5 persons that entered treatment in the period were unemployed. This trend has not only economic but mental health implications. On Education, 72 percent of those that entered treatment had only primary or secondary education.

The 2021 World Drug report (UNODC, 2021)

While 2021 data on cannabis use remains highest with about 200 million people involved reflecting an increase of about 18% over the last decade , Opioids use is perhaps the most dangerous and lethal. According to the report, the number of drug users is expected to rise in Africa by 2030. With increasing web based drug sales which is estimated to have risen by almost 400% from 2011 to 2021, Africa and Nigeria in particular with comparatively low information and communication technology infrastructure may be highly hit by this development. Despite increasing evidence on the causal relationship between heavy long term consumption of cannabis and development of mental health disorders, adolescents’ perception of harm associated with use of drugs reduced by as much as 40% in the last two decades. Similar data were also obtained from surveys of school children and adults in America, Europe and other climes. A lived experience in Nigeria showed the following mental precepts among drug users that tend to sustain drug involvement.

1. ‘Something must kill man’.
2. ‘I know doctors who use it . Why advise me? Do you know more than doctors in health matters’?
3.’ Cannabis is a vegetable like bitter leaf and pumpkins. Nature made it to be eaten’.

It is the considered opinion of this paper that these cognitive defences (mental precepts) maintained by substance users to avoid dissonace should indeed constitute import targets in prevention advocacy efforts by substance use professionals in Nigeria.

OTHER CHALLENGES OF DRUG ABUSE CONTROL IN NIGERIA AND SOME NAVIGABLE OPTIONS

From the review so far, the trend is that a large percent of young people increasing engage in drug use which has serious implication on economic development, national security, mental health and life expectancy of Nigerians. In addition, there are other challenges that impact supply, drug administration and institutional efficiency in our environment. These predicaments can be categorised into Six broad classes based on research, practice and lived experience. It is hoped that adequate attention to these factors may provide the needed reduction in drug use prevalence with attendant psychosocial problems in Nigeria.

1 . Complexity of some security personnel charged with implementation of drug laws/control in Nigeria.
One major difficulty preventing effective implementation of drug control policies and laws in Nigeria is the complex unwholesome relationship between some security agents and non state actors as they perpetuate violation of drug control policies and protocol for monetary and selfish reasons. Indeed, deliberate non effective control of illicit drug supply into Nigeria markets is probably the most critical factor in promoting illegal drug trafficking and use in Nigeria. Ezenwa et al (2019) in a study on Tracking Opiate Routes In Nigeria: Identifying Trafficking Routes Through Dealers And Users Of Tramadol And Codeine observed that corrupt practices among security personnel was largely responsible for ‘free’ movement of illicit drugs across entry and exit points of our borders. Permit me to quote a section of the study report thus:

‘The interplay of wealthy dealers, porous borders and corrupt border
control officials at seaports and airports was identified as the chief problem
with controlling the availability of the drugs on the open market……’
By drugs here is meant tramadol and codeine containing mixtures. Note that abuse of these prescription opioids accounted for the highest cause of death from drug use as captured by World Drug Report for 2020. The quotation continues thus:
‘Talking of business moguls, a pharmacist in Enugu stated the following:

They have the clout. Clout is more important in this. If [tramadol and
codeine] get to the airport or seaport, they have that political clout or
money to give to whomever is the official there, and they will take their
goods.’…..

‘Corruption networks based on the exchange of bribes continue to protect
the illicit consignments as they transported by road along their different
routes. Security agents at the seaports, airports or land borders and highway
patrol teams were all mentioned as being bought off to ensure the smooth
passage of illicit drug consignments….’
Source: Ezenwa, M.O., Orjiakor, T. C., Ukwuma, M. C., Oraetue. H. I., Eze. N.U., Nweze. T (2019) Tracking opiate routes in Nigeria: identifying trafficking routes through dealers and users of tramadol and codeine. Bulletin on Narcotics, Vol. LXII, 2019. pp 27-47. page 36.

Therefore, any attempt at proper control of drug trafficking and abuse must begin with our security agencies doing things the right way. Duty officers must be held accountable for what happens within their jurisdictions. The question now is who is willing to do that with the requisite political and legislative will to check these excesses that remain the bane of drug control in Nigeria. If illicit drugs are not available, users will likely consider to surrender for treatment. I believe this government can, if she decides to do it for the future of our dear country.

2. Lack of public opinion input as a criterion in the promotion and appointment of senior officers of security agencies in the country.
Many officers violate the rules of engagement and become tyrants, corrupt and sometimes deliberately derelict from duty in their service operations. Some have been alleged agents of crime as they aid and abet same even against their service thrust. This happens essentially because the public which is on the receiving end has no input to the career/progression ladder of members of Nigerian security forces. Although there are provisions to complain against excesses of serving officers in many instances, the experience is that some of these officers are believed to use their influence, crime proceeds and ”internal connections” to influence the outcome of such reports. The obvious implication of this is the perceived loss of confidence by the public in lodging complaints. In some instances prolong delays give the impression of deliberate efforts by relevant statutory mediation agencies to frustrate complainants, a confirmation of the law maxim that justice delayed is justice denied.

If officers due for appointment into certain senior command positions such as chief superintendent, assistant, deputy and commissioner of Police and above and their equivalents in other services will be 80% dependent on the recommendations from members of the public whose Curriculum vitae, service profile including previous postings and other memoranda on the proposed officers will be sent to a committee made of representatives of Nigerian Psychological Association, Nigerian Medical Association, Nigerian Bar Association, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Human Rights Commission, civil society group and the town union representative or its equivalent of the community of origin of the applicant to decide on the fate of the officers, most service personnel will be compliant with rules of engagement and force same on those below them. There is the allegation that junior to mid rank security personnel sent on patrol or other missions break rules of engagement in their attempts to extort money for themselves and their principals who sent them. When negative reports flow back from such operations, the senior officers, having benefited from the proceeds, work to frustrate the complainant(s) or close the matter with a body language of ‘nothing will happen’ and the system continues to degenerate.

3. Breakdown of family values following parental especially mother absence.
One of our greatest challenges in Nigeria is the tendency to copy western societies without remembering that we are in different cultural situations. Since the 4th World conference on women held in Beijing, China in 1995, many people believe that despite some positive outcomes, the impact of that conference on Nigerian families has been somewhat devastating especially with respect to parents specially mothers’ availability at home for the proper nurturing of the children. The role of a woman as a mother and one nearest to the developing child through breastfeeding and other natural influences and the melting point of the family seem to have been degraded especially by the media in preference to public life engagement of the mother. This has affected the family interest of many mothers especially when role conflict exists. Udeagha, Uwaoma and Ezenwa (2011) found that 20% of career women would decide for career option if role conflict existed between family and work demands. This probably explains why we now have children who do not behave like human beings, no soft emotions, callous and pro drug abuse spree. Psychologists have provided numerous evidence that childhood is the most significant period of life to groom and decide almost exclusively on the personality of an individual. when therefore this responsibility is negated by the parents especially by the mother, the society pays dearly for it. Till date many people believe that there is no alternative to parental especially mother love, attention and care. That parents especially women who abandon their children for other purposes pay very dearly for it later in life. It is believed that women who insist to nurture their children till at least five to seven years, who are present as and when needed before taking formal engagements in public life stand an improved chance of having better behaved, more productive, happier and fulfilling children than their counterparts. Indeed, if our society will become better, the women must again lead the way.

4. Low research funding in the areas of drug use prevention in Nigeria. If Nigeria will get it right, then research must be embraced in drug use prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Our government needs to deliberately embrace policy thrust on what works for us as a people not copied from another clime just to belong. Our government must budget significantly and invest in addiction science for research outcomes that must be implemented to solve drug challenges in Nigeria. We need to order our priority according to our needs and not in line with western definition of priority or development needs.
The body charged with control of illicit drugs in Nigeria is essentially the National Drug law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. This agencies has however faced a lot of challenges from poor motivation of the workforce to poor budgetary allocation. In countries where adequate attention is paid to drug control, government budgets not only for routine services but for applicable research funding for solutions to emerging national problems. The NDLEA needs to be funded with new set of mandates not only to control drug flow in Nigeria but to provide research evidence that will direct government policy. In this respect, The International Society of Substance Use and Treatment Professionals (ISSUP) Nigeria will be a dependable ally.

5. Stand alone treatment centres and associated high level of relapse
The best approach in substance abuse prevention and treatment relies heavily on evidence to inform practice, and policy. One recent understanding about substance use is that it affects many aspects of the individual functioning such as the social, educational, occupational, health, family, cognition, perception. and general adjustment. Therefore any attempt at intervention must address these relevant human function domains given their significant predictive relationship to recovery capital. This requirements have made rehabilitation not only multidisciplinary but patient specific as there is no more one method for all persons. This approach calls for inclusive treatment/rehabilitation centres where drug users receive all round elaborate attention and protocol with fully implemented follow up plans from different mental health professionals that work collaboratively not competitively.

Currently, what dominates in Nigeria is stand alone practice centres with emphasis on drug administration and neglect of other equally important areas of functioning including the psychosocial, occupational and other areas of functioning. There is also the unnecessary inter-professional rivalry instead of cooperation and team work with the result that the patents suffer from poorly coordinated treatment attempts that often result in relapse, loss of confidence in the formal health sector and the temptation to try alternative approaches.

6. Use of non evidence based methods in drug abuse prevention strategies.
The need to retrain drug abuse professionals as a deliberate policy to respond to changes in addiction science can be guarantied essentially through use of evidence based approaches. Policy and practice must be driven by verifiable research if public expenditure must solve social problems. This is the clarion call from what is the usual approach to what is supported by data. This does not in any way mean the rejection of traditional methods but the need to subject every practice to rigorous scientific protocol to confirm efficacy and at what level. To this end, everyone must be involved- a journalists, advertisers, teachers, traditional rulers all need to understand what works through getting involved.

To achieve this, there is need for drug use professionals to continue to train for new, easier and most cost effective methods of managing individuals with substance use disorders in our society. The advertisements on the media and the use of the social media all need to be monitored to ensure that what is designed for prevention for instance actually prevents and does not promote drug use.

Conclusion

There is need to address the drug use challenges in Nigeria through home grown approaches that are evidence based. The federal and state governments as well as corporate organisations must invest in addiction science as a deliberate policy to curb the disturbing drug abuse trend and prevalence in Nigeria. Given the number of people that die daily in Nigeria from violence most of which are believed to be perpetuated under drug influence, there is a great justification to inject more fund in dealing with drug issues than even in COVID 19 pandemic control for instance. The total number of deaths plus persons infected with Covid 19 is nothing to compare with number of deaths, trauma, destruction of livelihoods, secondary disabilities and frustrations Nigerians suffer from drug related challenges daily, hourly and minute by minute. This new thinking should inform public expenditure if our leaders want to put the relief at the strongest point of pain. Ejiogu, & Ejiogu (2020) noted that in 2020 alone N500bn ( about $1.3bn) was the supplementary budget for COVID 19 pandemic. A vanguard newspaper report of 21st October, 2019 entitled ”NDLEA surviving on charity, as lawmakers move to grant agency autonomy” quoted a House of Representative Committee Chairman as saying, ”if we do our job well as members of this Committee, we’ll be salvaging this country; call it Boko Haram, kidnapping, cultism, bunkering, armed robbery, etc are drug-induced. But unfortunately, the NDLEA completely survives on charity…’

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/10/ndlea-surviving-on-charity-as-lawmakers-move-to-grant-agency-autonomy/

Nigerian public especially critical stakeholders need to make 80% input to the promotion of certain high ranking serving security officers to senior positions. In this way, all such officers will be compelled to operate within the rules of engagement. Psychologists believe that behaviour is a factor of its consequence. This will naturally reduce impunity, dereliction of duty and corruption.

Finally, Our women are called upon to once again pay attention to the children for there is no substitute to mother love, care and attention in the upbringing of the child. The Nigerian woman, the African pride must lead the way.

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https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/10/ndlea-surviving-on-charity-as-lawmakers-move-to-grant-agency-autonomy/

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