Momodu: Drug Abuse Leads to Decreased Ability to Lead by Example

Linus Aleke in Abuja

Retired Deputy Commander General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Sule Momodu, has said that drug abuse among commanding officers in the Nigerian military leads to decreased ability to lead by example.

He also noted that another leadership and command challenge of substance abuse by commanding officers in the Armed Forces of Nigeria is difficulty in maintaining discipline and order.
Speaking on the dangers of commanding officers abusing drugs at a One-Day Mental Health Sensitization Training for Personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja, Momodu further stressed that drug abuse reduces subordinate confidence in leadership.

According to him, “These types of drugs we are talking about exert their major impacts on the brain. It is pertinent to note that all activities we carry out are coordinated by the brain. For instance, such activities as movement/coordination, experiencing hunger and thirst, remembering/recalling, speech, calculating, and so on.
“An officer who is suffering from drug use disorder whose brain functions are already altered by the drugs can have their behaviours altered in a number of ways, which may include: officers who suffer from hallucinations and delusions will lack concentration and coordination; erratic behaviour and mood swings, stealing of funds, leaking of vital financial information, reduced personal competency, strained relationships with colleagues, organizational problems, and damage to the reputation of the corps.”

He also outlined some of the operational challenges of abusing drugs by commanding officers, including compromised security, increased risk of accidents and casualties, decreased situational awareness and response time, reduced ability to adapt to changing situations, decreased effectiveness in combat and peacekeeping operations, increased risk of fratricide and civilian casualties, and compromised ability to achieve mission objectives.

The ex-Director of Technical Services of NDLEA stated that the one-day sensitization training is designed to raise awareness about mental health among armed forces personnel.
The programme, he said, includes educational sessions, interactive activities, a documentary screening, music, a drug test demo, and survey assessments to help participants understand, reflect on, and manage mental health challenges.

Momodu said that the training objectives are to increase awareness of mental health and reduce stigma, identify early signs of mental health issues, encourage healthy coping strategies and help-seeking behaviour, raise awareness about the effects of substance abuse, and foster resilience and peer support among personnel.