Dr. Nkechi Ikpeazu, the wife of Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, says she is upscaling her involvement in the fight against substance abuse through advocacy and sensitisation.
She also promised interventions to promote care and recovery for those who have been exposed to misuse.
Dr. Ikpeazu stated this when she visited the State headquarters of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Aba.
The governor’s wife affirmed that her organisation, the Vicar Hope Foundation, will introduce a set of programmes that would support the NDLEA in public enlightenment.
Dr. Ikpeazu, who was emotionally disturbed at the sight of some promising youths, mostly graduates who were at the rehabilitation center, strongly condemned the use of drugs.
She also noted that drug addiction can cause untimely death, mental illness, rustication from school, while abusers are prone to violence and crime among others.
The wife of the governor cautioned the youths against drug intake, peddling and abuse, and emphasised on the need for parents, community leaders, Non-governmental Organizations, religious bodies, government and other relevant stakeholders to join forces in the campaign against drug abuse in the state and country at large.
While praying for the total rehabilitation of the clients at the NDLEA rehabilitation facility, Dr. Ikpeazu promised to look into the challenges raised by the clients in the rehabilitation center and commence the unrelenting fight against drug abuse in the country by the agency as well as their efforts at rehabilitating victims of drug abuse.
Earlier, the State Acting Commander of NDLEA, Mr. MacLean Ebani, appreciated the wife of the governor for finding time to visit and show her support to the outfit in their fight against drug abuse.
He enumerated some challenges facing the agency, including small rehabilitation facilities that affect the number of intakes that the centre can handle.
Mr Chukwuemeka (surname withheld) who is a graduate of Federal University of Technology Owerri, who spoke on behalf of his fellow internees, conveyed their thoughts through an emotional poem which explained how drugs looked so beautiful, attractive but gradually lured them into a very deplorable state.
He said substance abuse and dependency had affected the social and educational development of many of his fellow internees on the rehabilitation programme and expressed remorse over their involvement in drugs and promised to turn a new leaf after undergoing rehabilitation.
The graduate used the opportunity to thank the wife of the governor for showing them love and care and appealed to the First Lady to assist them to learn skills and be gainfully employed.
The Special Adviser to the Abia State Governor on Narcotics, David Anyanwu, commended Mrs Ikpeazu for supporting the fight against drug Abuse through her NGO over the past five years, and expressed gratitude that the Governor’s wife has declared intent to increase her activities in the coming weeks to combat substance abuse using advocacy, sensitisation and other types of interventions.
