BY ABBA IBRAHIM
This is just to draw your attention to the fact that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is about to establish zonal Rehabilitation centres in every geo-political zone of the country. . The sole reason for writing this letter is to request your Excellency to kindly consider making concerted efforts to ensure that the zonal Rehabilitation centre meant for the North-Central zone is located in Lafia or any part of Nassarawa State that the NDLEA may approve of. Usually, there is no fixed or defined criteria for siting zonal or state branches of Federal Government Institutions .It all depends on the lobbying capacity of the states. Over the years, Pateau State and Kano State have been very active in this respect and both have achieved much. Thus, it is pertinent that your Excellency hasten to make quite, but decisive move to ensure that the proposed NDLEA Zonal Drug Rehabilitation Centre is brought to Nassarawa State. The move should be quite and decisive because other states, are usually very alert and fiercely competing for such opportunities. Indeed, Nasarawa State, especially, Lafia, the capital city has a very high number of drug addicts and the number is growing at an alarming proportion.
It would be wise if your Excellency would arrange a visit to the NDLEA Chief Executive, Brigadier General, Buba Marwa, to discuss the matter, lobby and ensure that the Zonal Drug Rehabilitation Centre, meant for the North Central Geo-political Zone, is sited in Nasarawa State.
Siting the Zonal Drug Rehabilitation Centre within our State would have the following advantages :-
1)Firstly, it would help to rehabilitate the teeming umber of otherwise productive people in the State, especially the youth , who have become helplessly addicted to drugs.
2) Secondly, It would bring about increased employment opportunities in the State as the Rehabilitation Centre would have to employ the necessary number of staff.
3) Thirdly, it would boost the State’s revenue profile as the Rehabilitation Centre would regularly receive its federal budgetory allocation, which would mostly be spent within the State, thereby boosting money in circulation within the State.
4) Fourthly, the building edifice that would house the Zonal Drug Rehabilitation Centre would add to beauty and esthetics of the State.
5) Fifthly, any reduction in the number of drug addicts in the state would lead to consequential decrease in the prevailing insecurity within the state, in view of the inseparable links between drugs, crime and insecurity.
Your Excellency may wish to note that apart from the proposed NDLEA Zonal Drug Rehabilitation Centre, many Federal government institutions are yet to establish their zonal or state branches. The FGN has no less than four hundred (400) Agencies and Parastatals and many more are being established annually. By the nature of their operations, more than 70 percent of them require state or zonal branches across the country. However, Nasarawa State has only a tiny share because it doesn’t have an effective policy towards attracting branches of such FGN institutions. Having only one officer or few officers within the State Liaison Office to handle such matters is not enough. There is an urgent need to set up a special state government organisation specifically devoted for the purpose of attracting federal opportunities and institutions, which can be tagged –Nasarawa State Federal Opportunities Bureau . When the cost of establishing the proposed Bureau is compared with the huge potential economic and social benefits of attracting branches of FGN institutions into our State as enumerated above , the cost then becomes insignificant.
Respectfully submitted for your consideration and possible action. ABBA IBRAHIM
Is Abuja Based Intelligence & Security Consultant