By Adedapo Adesanya
The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Mohamed Buba Marwa, has called for the removal of the clause which allows for the option of fines for drug offenders.
The NDLEA Act is currently undergoing amendment at the National Assembly and is expected to strengthen the deterrence effect of court prosecution and conviction.
Mr Marwa, while defending the 2022 NDLEA budget proposal before the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, said though he had visited the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Justice John Tsoho, on the issue of ridiculous options of fine given to some drug traffickers, and admitted that he believes the removal of the clause that allows judges to use discretionary powers to give options of fine would resolve the jigsaw.
While defending the N38.1 billion 2022 budget proposal, Mr Marwa said though the allocation may not solve all the problems facing the agency, it is a great improvement on the previous budgets.
He used the opportunity to thank President Muhammadu Buhari, the Finance Minister, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and more importantly, the leadership of the National Assembly and its committee on drugs and narcotics for giving the NDLEA the support needed to make the progress being talked about at the moment.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Committee, Mr Hezekiah Dimka, congratulated Mr Marwa on the “successes recorded by the agency since his assumption of office,” adding that “there is no doubt that his approach and manner of operations to the fight against drug trafficking and abuse on our shores is extraordinary.”
Other members of the committee, including the Vice-Chairman, Mr Chimaroke Nnamani, expressed support for the good work the NDLEA is doing and promised to enhance and pass the budget to enable the agency to achieve greater feats next year.
Modupe Gbadeyanka