The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has knocked Senator Oyeola Yisa Ashiru for declaring that the agency was “most corrupt, comprised”, saying the comment of the lawmaker in the Senate last week was borne out of vendetta.
Reacting to the statement on Monday at a press briefing in Abuja, the Agency described the statement as unfortunate coming from a Senator and who should be a nationalist and a patriot, describing Ashiru’s statement as unfounded, defamatory and baseless against the agency and which should not be taken serious by anyone.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy , Femi Babafemi said: “The NDLEA is compelled to call this press briefing today because of an unfortunate development earlier last week during plenary in the Nigerian Senate when some uncomplimentary, unfounded, defamatory remarks were made against the Agency”.
While acknowledging the great work of the Senate towards the upliftment of Nigeria and Nigerians especially their support for the ongoing concerted efforts towards the amendment of the NDLEA Act, the Agency however said it is duty-bound to respond to the unprovoked attack against it by Senator Ashiru during his contribution to the debate on a new bill for an Act to establish the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation on Tuesday, October 15, 2024.
NDLEA said, the agency waited for a week to respond to allow Senator Ashiru make further clarification or withdraw the weighty disparaging statement against the agency, but having not done that, they have no choice, but to lay bare before Nigerians and other distinguished Senators that the agency has skeleton in its cupboard.
“There is no doubt that setting up another agency is within the power of the Senate and if we are invited to contribute to the debate we will be willing to offer our opinion. While we cannot fault the power of the senate on that, yet for a member of the upper chamber to have made such an unfounded and unwarranted categorical statement against the Agency led us to look inward to see what could have been responsible for such a carpeting general statement.
“What we found was shocking, and we concluded that his statement came from a place of vendetta and certainly not out of public interest or any altruistic motive.”
We will continue to raid the lawmaker’s house of illicit drugs.
