Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Anambra State’s First Lady, Mrs Nonye Soludo, has asked parents and community leaders to take the ongoing campaign against drug abuse and illicit trafficking in the State as a personal responsibility to safeguard the future.
Mrs Soludo stated this at Oyi Local Government Area headquarters, Nteje, during an event to mark this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Addressing the theme of this year’s celebration, “The Evidence Is Clear: Invest in Prevention,” Mrs Soludo said the scary statistics of people who are into drug abuse in Nigeria should worry anyone who cares about tomorrow’s generation.
She said that having recently launched a statewide initiative to help local authorities with information about manufacturers and peddlers of illicit substances in communities, she was looking forward to a closer collaboration with community-based stakeholders to make the project a success.
The governor’s wife noted that the only way to eradicate drug abuse and Illicit trafficking from Anambra State is through honest collaboration and sincerity of purpose which must be backed by stakeholders’ willingness to work for the ultimate results.
Mrs Soludo urged residents of the state who know anyone who manufactures or sells illicit drugs to call the communication lines – 08133979363 or 09030055335 – assuring of confidentiality of any caller.
In their remarks, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, and his Women Affairs and Social Welfare counterpart, Mrs Ify Obinabo, talked about the dangers of drug abuse and Illicit trafficking, concluding that one of the best ways to check the spread is to support the governor’s wife’s programme through community participation and engagements.
Earlier in his remarks, the Transition Committee Chairman of Oyi Local Government Area, Honourable Emma Nweke, said that the council had begun the transmission of the initiative to the grassroots, through partnerships with president generals of communities and other local leaders.
He pledged to sanitise the area of illicit drugs and warned manufacturers, sellers, and users to ply their illegal businesses elsewhere or face the full weight of the law.
The President Generals of Umunya and Awkuzu, in their respective remarks, pledged to support Mrs Soludo’s fight against substance abuse and Illicit trafficking of drugs campaign, beginning from their communities.
