A three-day workshop organized by ECOWAS Commission for
regional media experts on the prevention of Drug abuse, Illicit Drug
trafficking and organized crimes in West Africa ended in Lome, Togo, with a
call by participants on the leaders of countries in the said region to take urgent
steps to curtail the abuse and trafficking in illicit drugs within West Africa.
The three days workshop which drew participants from the
fifteen ECOWAS countries observed that there was an explosion in the use and
abuse of narcotic drugs in West Africa, adding that drugs most widely abused
are cannabis, cocaine and heroin.
The workshop which took place at Palm Beach Hotel, Lome,
Togo, re-echoed the latest world report
of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) rating Nigeria as the
African country with the highest number
of people abusing narcotics substances.
It said, Nigeria, according to a recent research, produces
more than 8% of cannabis consumed in the world, and that about 20% of Nigeria’s
adult population consumes cannabis.
The workshop drew resource persons from Nigeria and Togo with
welcome addresses and remarks from other notable representatives of CNAD,
ECOWAS, UNODC, INTERPOL and Minister of Security and Civil Protection, Togo.
While Professor Isidore Obot, a Clinical Psychologist from
University of Uyo, Nigeria presented a paper on “Substance Abuse in West
Africa: Health and Social Welfare Issues”, Prof. Valentin Kolou Dassa, a
Psychiatrist from University of Lome,
Togo dwelt on “Demand Reduction – Prevention and Treatment Interventions” and Mr Anietie
Solomon Eteyit, a Communications scholar from, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria,
presented a paper on “Drugs, Drug Abuse and Drug Trafficking Issues in West
Africa: Nigeria Media Perspective”.
The workshop was chaired by Col. M. Yark, Minister of
Security and Civil Protection, Togo, who made opening remarks on the first day
of the workshop(August 7, 2012). Welcome
addresses were given by the Permanent Secretary of Committee Nationale Anti
Droge(equivalent of NDLEA in Nigeria), representative of ECOWAS Commission in
Togo, remarks by representative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(on
Regional and National Response to Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse in West
Africa) and remarks by representative of International Police(INTERPOL)(on
Overview of Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse Trends in West Africa).
Our checks showed that the workshop which lasted
from 7th to 9th August, 2012 was attended by two
Journalists(not below the rank of an editor) from each of the 15 West African
countries.
It is not making recommendations, communiques and position Papers on matters of Drug Abuse, trafficking and crime, but leaders of the affected countries should show more commitments by way of political will, funding and enforcement of same actions against these vices in their territories.
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