NIGERIA-DRUGS: U.S. Continues To Wave A Big Stick

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

Toye Olori

LAGOS, Dec 16 1996 (IPS) - Nigerian law enforcement officials have accused the United States of ignoring ongoing efforts by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to curb drug trafficking at home and abroad.

This West African nation has been tagged the world’s third largest transit point for hard drugs by Washington, which has once again refused to certify Nigeria, making it eligible for U.S. aid.

In March, Bill Clinton’s administration announced its dissatisfaction with the anti-narcotics efforts of Nigeria and five other nations — Colombia, Burma, Iran, Afghanistan and Syria.

Under a 1986 amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act, the United States President is required to determine each year whether major drug-producing countries have “fully cooperated” with the United States in curtailing illicit production and trafficking.

The annual certification process covers 31 countries.

Nigeria’s failure to pass the certification process this year, despite stepped up efforts to win the war against drugs, has irked officials here who accuse Washington of politicising the drug issue.

“Political reasons rather than consideration for Nigeria’s efforts to curb drug trafficking are responsible for the refusal of the United States to certify Nigeria as a drug-free nation,” Gen. Musa Bamaiyi said in a recent interview here.

Bamaiyi, who is Chair of the NDLEA, argued: “the U.S government has politicised the global drug war by castigating some countries, particularly Nigeria, for not serving America’s interest”.

According to Bamaiyi, President Clinton has acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts at controlling the drug menace, and Nigeria expects cooperation, rather than criticism, from the United States.

“Only cooperation among nations rather than castigation could help the world get rid of drugs. Passing accusations could create avenues for drug lords to have a field day,” the NDLEA official said.

At a joint press conference last Wednesday after a meeting between Nigerian officials and a U.S delegation of Narcotic and Law Enforcement officials in Abuja, the special adviser to Nigeria’s Head of State on drugs and financial crimes, Adamu Mohammed, also berated the U.S.

“Washington is not sincere in its dealing with Nigeria on the narcotics issues,” he said. “Since statistics have shown that the U.S is the biggest consumer of hard drugs, it is necessary for the (U.S.) government to come up with a formula to reduce demand. Once this is done, the market will automatically crumble”.

He warned that Nigeria would not tolerate being treated like a pariah state whenever the drug issue was raised, since the country ranked among the lowest producers and consumers of the commodity.

“The federal government is fighting the drug menace not because it is being pushed by anybody, but in the interests of the country and its citizens,” he said.

Nigerian drug officials here believe that Washington continues to punish its citizens despite the fact that the NDLEA has put in place machinery at sea, airports and land borders to check the transport of hard drugs.

Last week, for example, a government delegation comprising the chairmen of the five registered political parties and government officials were refused visas to enter the United States for a three-day seminar on Nigeria’s future organised by a peace foundation in Washington.

The NDLEA has repeatedly said that its efforts alone are not enough to counter drug trafficking in the region. It argues that because of the weak security in neighbouring countries, drug peddlers have found Africa’s west coast an easy entry point for drugs from South America and Asia for transit to Europe and the United States.