By Joel Ikilim
The Delta State Government has fixed September 21, 2026, for the formal flag-off of the second phase of the Drug-Free Delta Campaign, with universities, colleges and selected secondary schools across the state expected to participate in an intensified sensitisation programme.
The Director-General of the Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications, Dr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, Esq., disclosed this during a working visit to the Delta State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Ogwashi-Uku.
Oghenesivbe, who led the management team of the Bureau on the visit, said the flag-off would take place at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, with activities extending across Delta’s three senatorial districts.
The campaign is being implemented in collaboration with the NDLEA as part of efforts to increase awareness of the dangers associated with substance abuse, drug dependency and illicit drug trafficking.
According to the Director-General, the second phase will focus particularly on young people, who he said require sustained education and support to enable them to resist peer pressure and other influences that could expose them to drug abuse.
He said the campaign would go beyond public awareness by promoting responsible behaviour and encouraging young people to make informed decisions about their health and future.
Oghenesivbe commended the NDLEA leadership under Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), saying the agency’s initiatives, including its Drug Integrity Test and Visa Clearance programmes, were relevant to the wider objective of preventing drug abuse and trafficking.
He described the Drug Integrity Test as a potentially important early intervention mechanism capable of supporting detection, counselling and rehabilitation.
The Director-General said the Delta Government was also considering the introduction of Drug Integrity Tests across tertiary institutions in the state as a possible pre-condition for admission and graduation.
He clarified that the proposed measure would be subject to the required approvals and policy considerations.
Oghenesivbe said the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori was committed to protecting the wellbeing and future of Delta youths.
He called on parents, teachers, school administrators, traditional rulers, religious leaders, student organisations, youth groups, civil society organisations and the media to actively support the campaign.
“Government alone cannot win the war against substance abuse,” he stressed, urging young Deltans to become ambassadors of the Drug-Free Delta vision.
He also urged students to reject the use, sale and promotion of illicit drugs and to report activities that could endanger their communities through lawful channels.
The NDLEA Delta State Commander, Mr. Halilu Hamidu, expressed support for sustained collaboration, disclosing that the Command had seized banned substances worth more than N2 billion within the previous year.
He also disclosed that several alleged drug trafficking cases were pending before the courts.
Hamidu urged stakeholders to strengthen collective action towards reducing substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Delta State.
The second phase of the campaign is expected to build on the state’s ongoing public enlightenment efforts by taking anti-drug messages directly to educational institutions and communities.
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