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Delegates from about 54 African countries and 15 observer nations will next week converge on Abuja for the 31st meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa, (HONLAF) to discuss new trends and partnerships to curb the global drug scourge.
Top on their agenda will be discussions and collaborations on alternative development to cannabis cultivation, assets forfeiture, cryptocurrency and money laundering by drug cartels, among others.
This was disclosed on Tuesday at a joint press briefing in Abuja by the Secretary to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Shadrach Haruna, and the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, Oliver Stolpe.
In a statement made available to newsmen by the Director Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters, Femi Babafemi, said Mr. Haruna who represented the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), at the briefing said the 31st meeting of HONLAF, a subsidiary body of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (UNCND) was to enable heads of drug law enforcement agencies in Africa to discuss and develop strategies to combat drug trafficking and abuse in the region.
According to the statement, the HONLAF meeting was an annual event, while the last one was held in Nairobi, Kenya, where Nigeria was unanimously elected as the host of the 31st edition, which will take place from Tuesday, September 26 to Friday, September 29, 2023 in Abuja.
The statement further added while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was expected to deliver the keynote address and also declare the conference open as the special guest of honour, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and some invited ministers as well as heads of relevant parastatals and agencies will attend the opening ceremony.
The director said the conference will also provide opportunities for bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the main agenda.
“Among other positive outlooks, Nigeria hosting the 31st HONLAF is an indication of the trust in the leadership quality of NDLEA among its peers on the continent. At the last HONLAF meeting in Nairobi, Nigeria seized the momentum to broker bilateral cooperation with a number of countries with the intention of forming a strong regional defence against transnational illicit drug organisations trying to establish bases in our countries. Such bilateral relationships have been crucial to NDLEA’s interdiction exercises in the past year”, it stated.
Mr Babafemi added that the country representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, Dr. Oliver Stolpe, in his remarks at the briefing, said the HONLAF meeting will also focus on regional and national cooperation to reduce illicit production and cultivation of illicit drugs.
He said there will also be discussion on alternative development, an approach promoted by many countries; financial investigation in drug trafficking cases and the role of cryptocurrency in drug trafficking cases, and money laundering.
He added that the opening ceremony of the HONLAF meeting, will equally afford UNODC and the National Institute of Security Studies to present a report on organized crime trends that constitute threat to Nigeria.
The Niger State Government has signed a N7bn contract with four different firms for the purchase of 200 buses that will use compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel.
The signing of the contract took place at Government House on Tuesday.
The governor, in his remarks, said the purchase of the 200 buses was in fulfilment of his promise to provide free transportation for pupils and students in the state.
He said the fares for the 50-capacity buses will be subsidised for all civil servants.
He further explained that the first 100 buses will be used to serve commuters between Abuja and Suleja, 50 will be used in Minna, the state capital, and the remaining 50 will be spread across other local government areas.
The governor explained that an additional 300 buses will be purchased next year as part of the second phase of the scheme.
Describing the initiative as a way of reducing hardship faced by citizens due to fuel subsidy removal, Governor Bago said the gesture was also to bring about a revolution in the transportation system and reduce the rate of accidents on the roads.
He said that in the next four years, the state intends to purchase 1000 CNG buses and electric motorcycles to reduce the pollution caused by fuel-engine motorcycles.
While calling on the contractors to deliver the buses according to the specifications, the governor also called on investors to take advantage of the policy to establish CNG plants in the state.
The commissioner for transportation, Hajiya Hadiza Idris Kuta, said the buses will cost the state government about N7 billion.
Representative of Nationwide Unity Transport Limited, Mohammed Bawa, who spoke on behalf of other contractors, disclosed that the 200 high-capacity buses will be of great quality and will come with a warranty of two years, while availability for spare parts is guaranteed for the next 10 years.
He assured the governor that all contractors would stick to the contract agreement.
The four contracting firms were Topdesk International, Nationwide Unity Transport Limited, Afrobase Services Limited, and Musako Motors and Transportation Nigeria Limited.
The four companies were to provide fifty buses each, and the delivery is expected to be completed in 12 weeks.
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