UN RATES NIGERIA BEST IN DRUG CONTROL

Indication emerged at the weekend, that President Umaru Musa
Yar'Adua's anti-drug crusade may have started yielding dividends, as
the United Nations (UN) Office on Drugs Control (UNODC) adjudged
Nigeria as the best country in drug control and enforcement in West Africa.

A statement by the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos, said the
rating was based on the latest assessment report of the organisation.

The statement which did not, however, contain statistics of the
Nigeria's efforts on drug control, said the report reflected the
measures put in place to curtail the menace of hard drug by the
Federal Government.

THISDAY gathered that UN has three drug treaties and 95 per cent of
UN member-nations are parties to the International Drug Convention (IDC).

UNODC commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and
the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
(NAFDAC) for efficient operations.

It noted that the West African sub-region had become a major transit
route for hard drugs and attributed the increasing level of drug
seizure in the region to the doggedness of the agencies.

It said that Nigeria's commitment to the fight against the use of
hard drugs was strategic because of its population and influence in
the sub-region.

The UN called for a decisive action especially from other African
countries to check cocaine abuse in the region.

It expressed satisfaction at the level of acceptance of drug control
treaties among UN member-nations.

The statement solicited for more cooperation from countries where
hard drug production and consumption remained high.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that UN has three drug
treaties and 95 per cent of UN member-nations are parties to the
International Drug Convention (IDC).