HURIWA condemns senator claims of most corrupt against NDLEA

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned recent allegations credited to Kwara South Senator, Oyelola Ashiru, branding the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as the most corrupt and compromised government agency in Nigeria.

Debunking the claims as baseless and politically motivated, HURIWA, during a press conference, on Wednesday, described the senator’s accusations as a figment of his imagination, further noting that such a presentation does not befit a distinguished representative of the people.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in his statement, expressed dismay at the senator’s comments, questioning how a legislator could stand on the floor of the National Assembly and make sweeping allegations without presenting concrete evidence to support his claims.

According to HURIWA, Senator Ashiru’s remarks lack any form of credibility as they are not backed by specifics, evidence, or facts but rather appear to be driven by sentiments and possible ulterior motives.

“We find it alarming that a lawmaker would make such a ‘reckless’ and generalized allegation against one of Nigeria’s most hardworking agencies. This is simply based on nothing but sentiment and perhaps hatred for certain individuals within the NDLEA,” Onwubiko stated.

He further stressed that this trend of politically motivated smear campaigns against government institutions is becoming rampant and must be checked.

The advocacy group further raised concerns about the timing of the allegations, suspecting that there is a larger conspiracy behind Senator Ashiru’s outburst.

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HURIWA emphasized that the NDLEA, under the leadership of Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Retd.), has seen unprecedented success in its war against narcotics and drug trafficking. The rights group insisted that the agency has made significant strides in arresting drug barons, prosecuting high-profile individuals involved in drug-related crimes, and strengthening Nigeria’s international standing in the fight against drugs.

Comrade Onwubiko pointed out that NDLEA’s recent successes have rattled several powerful individuals who may now be resorting to political maneuvers to destabilize the agency’s operations.

He stated that the genesis of the bill to establish a National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation, which Senator Ashiru supports, appears to be part of a coordinated effort to undermine NDLEA’s accomplishments and weaken the current counter-narcotics strategy.

“We at HURIWA suspect that the introduction of this bill is a game plan orchestrated by certain forces who are unhappy with the current NDLEA leadership’s determination to intensify the drug war. Under General Marwa’s leadership, no one has been above the law—not even high-ranking politicians or politically exposed persons. This is why we believe there may be political forces at play here,” Onwubiko argued.

HURIWA further bolstered its position by citing remarks made by Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, earlier this year.

In January, Governor Soludo warned that drug barons and internet scammers have infiltrated politics, using it as a haven to evade law enforcement and continue their illicit activities. Soludo’s cautionary words, according to HURIWA, give credence to the notion that there are vested interests behind the push to derail the NDLEA’s counter-narcotics efforts.

Governor Soludo had said, “Many drug barons now see politics as the next easy alternative. Appointment or election into public office is seen largely as an opportunity to ‘eat’ rather than a call to selfless service.” HURIWA believes that the current debate in the National Assembly on the creation of a new agency is potentially being fueled by these same forces, seeking to destabilize the NDLEA and prevent it from achieving further victories in its war against drug trafficking.

“Governor Soludo’s statement carries significant weight given his elevated position in both political and economic circles and his access to critical intelligence. For him to raise such concerns shows that there is indeed a serious issue at play. We cannot allow a bill with no altruistic or nationalistic value to derail the progress the NDLEA has made,” Onwubiko remarked.

HURIWA said it strongly opposed the establishment of a new drug-related agency, arguing that it would be a needless duplication of functions.

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“The NDLEA already has departments dedicated to drug awareness and rehabilitation, which have performed exceptionally well. The proposal to create another agency with similar functions would only serve to weaken the NDLEA’s capacity and could be seen as a deliberate attempt to destabilize its operations.

“This bill is not just redundant; it is a direct attack on the NDLEA. The NDLEA’s public awareness programs and rehabilitation efforts are already effective, so there is no need for another agency. The only thing this bill will achieve is to divide resources and energy, ultimately weakening the fight against drug barons,” Onwubiko explained.

In light of these developments, HURIWA called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to launch a thorough investigation into the motivations behind the proposed bill and those sponsoring it.

The organization insisted that the bill’s proponents must be scrutinized to determine whether there are links to individuals or groups seeking to undermine the NDLEA’s fight against narcotics.

“A few months ago, HURIWA raised concerns about a coordinated campaign to discredit the NDLEA, and now we are seeing this bill emerge. The DSS must investigate the true intent behind this bill and uncover whether there is a conspiracy to sabotage the counter-narcotics war. The NDLEA has been praised by international bodies, including the U.S., U.K., and the EU, for its efforts, and we cannot allow a few disgruntled individuals to derail this progress.” HURIWA recounted.

HURIWA, also called on the National Assembly to act with greater responsibility and ensure that bills brought before it serve the nation’s best interests, stressing that Nigeria cannot afford to play politics with critical issues like drug enforcement, and the NDLEA’s remarkable progress should be supported, not sabotaged.

“HURIWA remains resolute in its defense of the NDLEA and we urge the government to dismiss Senator Ashiru’s baseless accusations, which are devoid of facts and evidence. We also warn that passing such a bill would be a monumental scandal, one that would harm Nigeria’s efforts to combat drug trafficking and further undermine public trust in the nation’s institutions,” Onwubiko concluded.

HURIWA condemns senator claims of most corrupt against NDLEA

Lagos NURTW unveils 3,000 CNG tricycles worth N10.2bn

The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Lagos State Chapter, has unveiled its first 3,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) commercial tricycles worth N10.2 billion to ease transport challenges.

The CNG was launched by Alhaji Azeez Abiola, one of the NURTW chieftains, on Wednesday in Lagos.

Abiola, the Zonal Chairman, Tricycle Owners and Operators Association of Nigeria under the NURTW, said the initiative would bring succour to the masses by reducing the lingering cost of transportation.

“Over 3,000 CNG tricycles have been deployed to the state to ease the cost of transportation among the residents and at the same time reduce economic hardship.

“We thank God Almighty for the opportunity to launch this laudable project with the support of President Bola Tinubu.

“As we launch this initiative today, residents will begin to experience a reduction in the cost of transportation within their locality.

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“This is the number one CNG commercial tricycle in the country that will be in operation. This is because the 3,000 tricycles will begin operations on Thursday.

“This development will reduce the cost of living among our people drastically because it costs a tricyclist N15,000 fuel to operate daily, while CNG operation will cost between N2,500 and N3,000 for daily operations,” he said.

He said the initiative would create over 5,000 new jobs for operators and technicians in charge of CNG conversions.

He also commended the President for the opportunity to venture into the new CNG operation for commercial purposes.

“We also appreciate the support of our state NURTW chairman for this initiative and for making it possible for members to be beneficiaries.

“With this development, we are going to engage hundreds of our members, fix them in the system and monitor their operations from excessive charges,” he said.

Abiola, however, appealed to the government to establish the CNG station within the locality of operators for easy refilling access.

“The only challenge we are having now is that of the CNG filling station which is only situated at Agidingbi in Ikeja, while our members are operating in Alagbado, Agbado-Okeodo, Ifako-Ijaiye, Agege and Alimosho.

“We also want the government to lift the ban of tricycles on the routes linked to the CNG filling station to make refilling easier,” he said.

Lagos NURTW unveils 3,000 CNG tricycles worth N10.2bn

Breaking: NLC, TUC meet FG over petrol price, others

Leaders of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and their Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart are currently meeting with the Federal Government.

Newstrends gathered that meeting is centered on the state of the nation, especially the petrol pricing and its consequences.

According to sources, the meeting is taking place at the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume.

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Roll call

At the meeting are Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, NSA; Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Labour Minister; Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.

Others are Alhaji Mohammed Idris, Information Minister; Heineken Lokpobiri, Petroleum Minister, State; Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), and representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Limited.

Breaking: NLC, TUC meet FG over petrol price, others