NDLEA vows to make workers’ welfare a priority, dismissing allegations of complaints by staff, as a ruse.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has said it will continue to make the welfare of its officers and men a priority within its available resources.
The Agency stated this to clarify issues raised in some reports alleging complaints by some staff over its last promotion exercise.
According to the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, 75% of the workforce was promoted at once in June 2021, which is the highest in any single exercise since the establishment of the anti-narcotic body over three decades ago.
“It is an established norm that promotions are not only based on qualifications but also on vacancies. No law enforcement organisation can elevate all its staff at a go considering such criteria as rank structure that is based on vacancies; only a specific number can be promoted to some vacant positions even if all are qualified and that’s why there can only be one State Commander in a State Command.
“At the highest level in the Agency, where we have nine Deputy Commanders General of Narcotics, DCGN and 25 Assistant Commanders General of Narcotics, ACGN, these positions were not only spread along geo zonal considerations but religious balance”, he explained.
READ ALSO:
NDLEA reveals more details how Abba Kyari’s gang of cocaine dealers operate
He explained that at the due time, everyone deserving of promotion and other benefits will be considered based on available vacancies and resources.
“This is in addition to other incentives such as provision of barracks for officers and men; life and injury insurance cover as well as working tools for drug demand control and drug supply reduction activities, all made possible by the current leadership of the Agency”, he added.
The NDLEA is a federal law enforcement Agency established by Decree No. 48 of 29th December 1989. The promulgation of the decree was chiefly in response to the rising trend in the demand for and trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances which adversely affected the international image of Nigerians and Nigeria in the 1980s.
Since then the trafficking of illicit substances has become an organised criminal activity that undermines the security and development of the country and therefore demands urgent attention and priority from the government.
NDLEA is in charge of drug policy and control in Nigeria. Within this purview, the Agency has the mandate to curtail illicit production, importation, exportation, sale and trafficking of psychoactive substances.
Employees of NDLEA carry out interdiction and destruction of narcotic drugs and other illicit substances. They also engage in preventive drug abuse activities such as advocacy and counselling, and rehabilitation of drug users.