Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
Founder and chairperson of Ikenga Abiama Dynasty Foundation (IADF), Her Majesty Dr Uba Iwunwa (Queen Ugobeze), has appealed to womenfolk participating in the 2023 edition of the Annual August Meeting across Igboland to place the rising social cases of drug abuse and cyber-fraud by youths on the agenda of their deliberations.
Uba, a Nigerian-Canadian Peace Ambassador, music artist, actress, and the 1 International bestseller author, made the call while reflecting on the social issues bedeviling Nigerian society, especially Igboland in recent times.
The month of August is used by Igbo women of different backgrounds to usually converge, deliberate and discuss on issues affecting the womenfolk, their matrimonial homes, communities and the society at large.
The IADF boss stressed that this year’s August meeting provides the women folk to discuss ways to discourage youths from the use of illegal drugs, cyber frauds, prostitution, and other criminal activities.
She said: “I want to seize this opportunity to appeal to our various women groups holding their annual August meeting to look into the rising anti-social behaviours of our youths and come up with measures to checkmate them at the family and communal levels.
According to her, people should be mindful of the fact that illicit drug consumption had a correlation with the current wave of crime in society.
“I’m speaking as a concerned mother and Ada-Igbo who understands what is at stake here. The rate our youths consume Mkpuru mmiri and other illicit drugs remains alarming and if we don’t take decisive steps to discourage such lifestyle and rehabilitate those already addicted to these harmful substances, the future of a greater percentage of our youths would be bleak.”
She added that the increasing reports of drug abuse, especially amongst school children and domestic violence against children “have put a question mark on parents,” especially mothers in training their children.
“Mothers must also understand that they are the heart and conscience of society and must wake up and take the lead in this battle against social vices among youths.”
On the issue of cyber crime and prostitution, Uba admonished mothers: “Our women should also take a stand on cyber-fraud, a criminal activity called Yahoo Yahoo and prostitution otherwise known as Hook-up.
“Today, our youths are increasingly being drawn to cyber fraud and prostitution to live luxurious life instead of education and legitimate businesses. Apart from the fact that it’s a crime to defraud people of their money or engage in prostitution, we should also be concerned with the fall-out of such social ills in our society.
“Investigations revealed that most parents, especially mothers don’t question their children when they begin to display ostentatious lifestyle even when they do not have legitimate means of livelihood. Gone are the days when parents often call their children to question their source of wealth or even disown them once they found out that they returned with ill-gotten wealth.
“I’m begging our womenfolk to put a stop to this ugly phenomenon by coming out with strong measures that would force parents, especially mothers to prevail on their children to stay away from cyber fraud, and instead make honest and legitimate means of livelihood. Our womenfolk must work hard to restore that dictum: ‘Ezi-afa ka ego’ in our families and society.”
