The Impact of Government Regulator Agencies of National Development in Nigeria (a Case Study of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study is geared towards identifying the activities and workings of NDLEA as a government regulatory agency in attempt to foster socio-economic development.
Moreso, the study looks into the impacts or contributions the agency has made on the economy and the generality of the public.
The research work however, hope to Marshal out staccato of problem / challenges faced by this Regulatory Agency (NDLEA) on the course of discharging their core task of eradicating drug trafficking and to safeguarding the national health.
Finally, the study is equally aimed at exposing litany of opportunities and strategies to be adopted by government regulatory agencies to enable the generality of the public live in drug free country and in attain national development.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter shall discuss in detail what NDLEA is all about. The structure of the agency shall be treated here as well as its problem as a regulatory agency on drugs.
The theoretical framework on government attitude towards the employee at the agency shall be extensively looked into using the literal works of other authors as the basis for this.
MEANING OF DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
According to 1999 constitution “National Drug Law Enforcement Agency is the agency that was saddle with responsibilities of controlling, interdicting and intercepting and intercepting the trafficking peddling and usage of hard drugs in and out of Nigeria, and also to educate the public on the effects of hard drugs on the national and people.
According to decree 48 of 1989 constitution NDLEA is seen as the sole agency for drug law enforcement in the country which adopted some measures to eradicate illicit demand for narcotic plants and to eliminate illicit demand for narcotic drugs and psychotropic substance with a view a reducing human suffering and eliminate financial incentive for illicit traffic to such measures that may ensure elimination and prevention of the root causes of problem.
According to Alabi Uwaiagb NDLEA is the agency that profits the country from the dangers of hard drugs and enhance for health of nation and it also protects the social life of the nation particularly, among the nations youth population.
Abdullah and Levine (1999:44) that oponed that design of the study is the fundamental question on how to yield the required data.
According to Marshal (1983), states that national drug law enforcement agency is the regulatory agency in charge, supervising, controlling, co-ordinating all the responsibilities, functions and activities relating to arrest, investigation, persecution, of all offence connected with relating to illicit traffic in narcotic drugs.
THE STRUCTURE OF NDLEA
According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, government agency is a permanent of semi- government organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for oversight and administration of specific functions such as an intelligence agency.
There is a notable variety of types of agency, although usage differs, a government agency is normally distinct both from a department or ministry and other types of public body established by government. The functions of agency are normally executive in character since different types of organization (such as commissions) are normally used for advisory functions but this distinction is often blurred practice that not with standing government agency may be established by either a national government or a state government within the federal system. Agencies can be established by legislation or by execution powers.
Government agency can equally be seen a unit of government authorized by law or regulation to perform a specific function gondolin, Rutgers text/ low organization type glossary item. Some other views vis-à-vis government agency means any governmental, semi-government, administrative fiscal judicial or quasi judicial body, department, commission, authority, tribunal agency or entity www agrb orgar/glossary at term.
FORMS OF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
The following are forms of government agencies:
- Non-Ministerial Administration Agencies
- Quasi- Ministerial Agencies
- Autonomous Government Agencies
- NON MINISTERIAL ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES
Non-Ministerial Administration Agencies comprise the following: Quasi-ministerial government agencies, autonomous or independent government bodies, advisory governmental and administrative tribunals. This forms of agency work assiduously to brief us the dis-functions of the government. They are mother body to this other agencies.
Quasi Ministerial Agencies: They are bodies, which for reason of administrative convenience are given a separate identity, therefore are not part of any government ministry. In some cases, however such agencies remain closely associated with ministry and in great measure depend on them. There are also cases of quasi –ministerial agencies that become self-standing ministeris or department and vice-versa. (Ademolekun 2002:24). Example are drought relief or emergency relief agencies in Botswans, Malawi and Senegal. These agencies are usually located in the of the president or head of the department.
Autonomous Government Agencies
There are agencies established by the government but independent of it in their mode of operation, regulatory agencies are good example of autonomous agencies. The United State of America had about ninety-nine of such agencies 1990. In some countries the constitution provides for the establishment of a distinct category of independent agencies such s commissions responsible for managing the civil service and judicial service, electoral commission and ombuds man institution. In Nigeria, we have the federal and state civil service commission, the independent electoral commission. (INEC). The public complaints commissions etcetera. The purpose of ensuring these in the constitution is to underscore their independence.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE CHAPTER
This chapter among other things consists of the design of the study, area of the study, population of the study, sample of the study, instrument for data collection, validation of the instrument, distribution and retrieval of the instrument.
DESIGN OF THE STUDY
This could be seen as a frame work a plant that is used as a guide in collecting and analyzing data for a study. It was Abdullah and Levine (1999:44) that opined that design of the study is the fundamental question on how the scope of the research and how they will be employed within the research setting to yields the required data.
The research design used by the researcher was a survey research design. Survey research is a form of research in which a carefully selected sample from a population is done in such away that and analyzed and finding are generalized the valuables in the research work are not under the control of the research method. However, the study was carried out through empirical observation and precisely at National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
AREA OF THE STUDY
The geographical location of the study is horizontally based in Nigeria at a strategic position with a green vegetation and clement weather. However, the area of the study is precisely NDLEA Zonal Office located at 33 Nsugbe in Nigeria.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
Member of the staff in national, drug law enforcement agency made up the target population.
However, the population size of 1000 including senior and junior member of the staff were subjected under consideration be that as it may, it was not possible for the researcher to work with all the target population.
SAMPLE OF STUDY
The sample size of the selected population under consideration was gotten from the accessible departments of the agency under study using judgment have more numerical strength and strategically located and such will be representative of the target population some selected staff of the top management. Senior management level, middle management level staff office and clerical workers were considered. They were selected because they were in better position to evaluate the activities of the agency mote effectively.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
DATA COLLECTION
Relevant information vis-à-vis the research works were sourced out though the internet and oral interviews. Moreso, vital information relating to this research work ere arrived at the aid of questionnaires structures issued to the member of staff of the agency under study. Other data were collected through the review of the related literature and other library.
Consequently two set of questions were structured, typed, and distributed to each of the respondent. Some of the questions were mostly structured questionnaire of “Yes or No” obtained in each case. While the instructured questionnaires were used to elicit response from respondents as they felt and probable of supply additional information on the study at state, before the researchers gave out his questionnaire he first of all briefed the respondent on his aims of study.
Finally, the response from managers and some of the members of the staff were the result of the interview geared towards eliciting answer on the relevant of the government regulatory agencies as a tool for national development with special interest on NDLEA.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
On the course of the research finding, it becomes empirically evidenced that government agency is a veritable tool for national development as justified by national Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The agency as a matter of necessity is into the business of safeguarding the health of the nation and as such purging the nation from unintended consequences of hard drugs and psychotropic substances, among other things.
However, the researcher discovered that the greatest of that challenges faced by this agency is that the drug traffickers activities, insecurity of the staff, low level of education, betrayal on the part of the public inadequate provision of relevant machines, among others. be that as it may the problem of hard drug traffickers is widespread with a high global prevalence report from NDLEA clearly indicated that the methods and channels used by drug traffickers are now more sophisticated, thus making drug traffickers difficult to defect.
This survey shows that majority of the respondents have experienced stocking some drug addiction in their premised. These findings, is very encouraging as it suggests that the respondents are aware of the high occurrence of drug traffickers and are motivated to check for security measured in order to identify them.
Consequently, this study reveals that few of the respondents however, reported as a case of drug traffickers to the authorities. This is disheartening considering the fact that majority of the respondents have had encounter with drug traffickers in their practices action of the respondents after an encountered was to release the drug traffickers rather than making a report to the regulatory authorities. This prevents any possible arrest or prosecution of the culprit.
Amidst all these, the respondents suggest that the agency NDLEA can still succeed and thrive of they can still insist on continuous visionary, proper remuneration of the staff of the agency, guaranteeing security, to the staff, enlightenment of the public and sister agencies, regular staff training and reorientation with this the ugly practices in the agency be reduced drastically and this will pave way for hard drug eradication and creation of a strong regulatory environment which in turn will safeguard the health of the nation.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The objectives of this study is to authenticate the fact that government regulatory agency is an indispensable instrument for national development. It is not worthy that several challenges have been militating against this core task of national development.
However, the researcher wish to recommend that if the below principles are strictly and religiously adhered to, the idea of attaining national development via government agency will be a success.
In the first instance, the country laws on drugs trafficking should be severs enough make laws prohibiting drug trafficking activities and quackery. Most importantly they should articulate stringent measures to bring the culprit to book.
This will be a lesson to very many who are into such unhealthy and illicit business.
Moreso, there is need for more proactive approach on the part of the other agencies of government in addressing the issue of selling, trafficking and use of hard drugs. The traffickers should not be spared.
On the other hand, the banks agency collaborate with agency to ensure that hard drugs, dealers do not process their financial import documents from banks.
Also, importing countries should also put in place effective regulatory measures to prevent dumping of hard drugs. From experience, massive public enlightenment has proved to be a successful tool in anti trafficking.
The researcher therefore recommended that NDLEA in collaboration with other agencies of the government should intensify effort in public enlightenment campaign hence, it is a sure way of breaking the culture of “silence and secrecy” which covers the trafficking problem and its anttedents.
Finally, if NDLEA along side the sister agencies should adequately utilize the above recommendations, their challenges will curbed and the agency made more formidable to trigger of national development made more formidable to trigger-off national development and healthy environment.
CONCLUSION
The researcher work has x-rayed litary of idea ranging from the attaining national development, their challenges and the way forward.
At this juncture, owing to the knowledge and information gathered on the course of the investigation the greatest monster to attainment of national development pose a great danger to every society and the less the awareness, the more it gains root into the system. The first step in combating the manace is getting people to know that it exists with all its consequences, hence it is necessary to create awareness by tackling it whenever and where ever the opportunity arises.
Finally, the guest for national development and psychotropic substances requires a global network co-operation among all nations and agencies of government just as the international community is doing for HIV/AIDS polio etc.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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