Abia State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has once again reaffirmed his stance on the enactment of stringent laws to curb the ravaging menace of drug abuse in society.
Governor Otti re-echoed his stance at Government House, Umuahia, on Thursday, October 16th when he received in audience the Assistant Controller General Narcotics, Zone 12, Owerri, Imo State, covering Imo, Abia, and Anambra States commands of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mrs. Florence Ezeonye, who paid him a working visit.
Governor Otti said that a lot of young people go into crime and use drug consumption to fuel it. “If you notice, you find that a lot of the young people go into crime, now come back to consume drugs to fuel it,” the Governor stated.
Using the rule 80/20, also known as the Pareto Principle, to explain voluntary and involuntary crime, Dr. Otti explained that involuntary criminals are those who will commit crimes no matter what you do to discourage them, noting that even after rehabilitating them, they will still go back to crime.
He further explained that those who engage in involuntary crimes are responsible for 20% of the crimes committed in society today, while those involved in voluntary crime make up the rest 80% and are involved in crimes as a last resort for survival. He equally explained that those involved in voluntary crime will give up crime once they have alternative means of survival.
Speaking further, he said that his administration is focused on providing jobs for the 80% to get them meaningfully engaged socioeconomically and discourage them from taking to crime, and then dealing with the 20% that will not give up crime no matter what you do to discourage them with the force of the law. “For us, we have taken a principled decision to take our people out of poverty, create an enabling environment for them to have something to do. Not necessarily given them money because if you give them money, they will probably go and buy drugs. But if they have somewhere they go to and come back in the night, they will want to rest, and the next morning they go back to work. So, that’s why our focus here is to create the environment that criminals don’t want to exist,” he added.
The Governor opined that rehabilitation is not enough to discourage people from drug abuse, calling for stiffer punishments like imprisonment, etc, saying that he is also engaging with the National Assembly on the issue.
Governor Otti assured the visiting ACGN that her request for the State Command of the NDLEA to be moved from Aba to Umuahia, the State capital, would be looked into, saying that the most important thing is staying where they will be more efficient, nearness to their targets, and getting the intended results.
Dr. Otti welcomed and congratulated Mrs. Florence Ezeonye for her accomplishments and the heights she has attained in NDLEA, describing her as an asset to the NDLEA.
Earlier in her address, ACGN, Zone 12, Owerri, Imo State, Mrs. Florence Ezeonye commended Governor Otti for his pragmatic and impactful leadership, evidenced in the massive transformation all over the State.
“I was here as a commander between 2011 to 2025, and when I came back as a zonal commander, Zone 12 Owerri, I visited Aba because I lived in Aba before my appointment as a State Commander. I missed my way because the visible infrastructural development in Abia couldn’t let me locate where I was going. I entered Osusu, thinking that it was Okigwe Road. So, I am a witness because I have been in Aba before now,” she excitedly stated.
Mrs. Ezeonye thanked Governor Otti for the things he has done for the Abia State command of the NDLEA, saying that the current State commander is lucky to be in Abia when Dr. Otti is the Governor. “Judging from my experience in 4 years and what he has been able to achieve as a commander in 2 years, it goes to show that you know what the menace of drugs can cause sir,” she noted.
She conveyed the appreciation of the chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Maruwa (Rtd) CON, whom she said has always wanted to come for his tour of duty in Zone 12, Owerri, but high schedule of duty is delaying his visit. “He has asked that I extend his appreciation in the areas that you have done what others didn’t do in the past. I was told and I have confirmed that NDLEA is part of the State Security Council, which I had earnestly wished to achieve during my tenure but was not able to,” she stated. She equally thanked the Governor on behalf of the Chairman for giving them residential accommodation in the State capital, a befitting rehabilitation center, operational vehicles, leaving them with no excuse not to deliver, and for inaugurating the State Drug Control Committee which is one of the cardinal points of driving the drug War home among other things Governor Otti has supported the State Command to achieve.
The ACGN, who was accompanied by some Zonal Officers and the State Commander of NDLEA, requested the Governor to move their State Command from Aba, where it is presently located, to Umuahia, the State Capital, to bring them closer to the seat of power.
Ctz. UKOHA, NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State.
