By Asma’u Ahmad
The Kano State Government on Monday said that it has destroyed illicit drugs worth N4.1 billion confiscated in the state this year.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who revealed this at the Senate Roundtable on Drug Abuse Epidemic held in Kano, said this was part of the renewed fight against drug abuse in the state.
The event was organised by the Senate as a way of finding lasting solution to the hard drug crisis in the country.
Governor Ganduje, who was represented by his deputy, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, said the drugs were confiscated in different parts of the state after being imported by unpatriotic medicine dealers.
Gov. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
He disclosed that the state government had also confiscated another consignment of illicit drugs worth N1 billion which would soon be destroyed.
The governor said the menace of hard drugs in the state was beyond the capacity of the state government to contain.
“The fight against drug abuse is an issue that requires active Federal Government’s intervention as it is beyond the capacity of the state government,” he said.
He said as part of its efforts to tackle the problem, the state government had set up a task force to deal with it, pointing out that the committee was doing its best.
“Even in 2012 during the administration of former Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso, a task force was set up for it and was given all the necessary support to work. But as I said, the fight is far beyond the capacity of the state government. There is need for all stakeholders to join hands together to fight the menace,” he said.
According to him, the state government had recently expanded the rehabilitation center for the victims of drug abuse in the state.He commended the Senate for initiating the roundtable and expressed hope that it would go a long way in addressing the problem.
He also lauded the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for choosing Kano as the venue for the event, in view of the relevance of the state to the issue at stake. Newsmen report that various stakeholders from across the country attended the roundtable.
