LAGOS NOVEMBER 11TH (URHOBOTODAY)-The battle against hard drugs was taken recently to the serene town of Oghara, Delta State by the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC), with the agency calling on all stakeholders to join hands in eradicating the scourge in the land.
The commissioner representing Ethiope west, Sapele and Okpe local government areas in the commission, Dr Henry Ofa, made the pitch during an anti-drug awareness campaign it sponsored, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the National Youth Service Corps.
Dr Ofa assured members of the NYSC and NDLEA of the agency’s commitment and continued partnership with the Federal Government agencies in their campaign against abuse of hard drugs in the state.
He maintained that given the havoc drug abuse causes the society, ranging from mental illness to crime, road accidents and destruction of lives among others, there was no better way their work could be truly appreciated than in the necessary support to the campaign to achieve the desired result of a drug-free society.
The commissioner commended the genuine partnership the NYSC/NDLEA community development tend to establish with such organizations as DESOPADEC, as well as the courage, vision and ingenuity of the NYSC members in coming out to participate in the campaign, pledging his support and that of DESOPADEC in ensuring the realization of their campaign objectives.
Dr Ofa explained that DESOPADEC as a critical interventionist agency of the Delta State government has since its establishment initiated various programmes targeted at the youths and will continue to partner such genuine organizations and groups in order to make the state and Nigeria at large a better place.
He appreciated the NYSC who he described as critical group in the society, youths who have passed through the crucible of the ivory tower and were now serving their fatherland in various forms for their efforts in initiating this concept, stressing that the theme for discussion, ‘Sensitization campaign against drug abuse’ could not have come at a better time than now considering the increasing rate drug abuse and the attendant multiplier effect in the country mostly being perpetuated by youths.
The DESOPADEC commissioner who is also the sponsor of Dr Ofa Summer School added that “the only way to reduce this human destruction is through effective collaboration of all critical stakeholders and well coordinated campaign such as this. And unless this kind of campaign is sustained, our nation faces a very bleak future as our people are faced with grave danger of losing grip of our cultural values and orientation.”
He therefore called on other youth groups in the country to emulate them in other to have a secured future.
The commissioner, who also promised to collaborate with the group to sponsor the campaign round his mandate areas, noted further that the nation is facing one of the most challenging periods of all times. “While an average Nigerian has come to terms with armed robbery, which have become daily occurrence, our security situation today has taken a new turn for the worse, with kidnappers and Islamist insurgents known as Boko Haram laying siege on the once peaceful country, a crime carried out by youths under the influence of drugs,” he lamented.
In their separate responses, Mr. Julius Dzer, the NDLEA Sapele area commander, Mr. Clement Okonkwo, NYSC Zonal coordinator, Ethiope west local government area, and Mr. Iyare James Osamuyi, batch ‘C’ NYSC
Anti-Drug publicity secretary, commended Ofa for the laudable initiative he single handedly sponsored as well as his promise of taking it to the other two local government areas in his mandate areas.
The trio called on other commissioners to do same for their people so the society could be a better place, adding that the youths of today Dr Ofa is trying to shape their lives, are leaders of tomorrow.
Miss Helen Bayo, the NYSC Batch ‘C’ 2012/2013 Anti-DrugExecutive/President Ethiope West Oghara also applauded the programme sponsor, urging other commissioners in DESOPADEC to follow Dr Ofa’s footsteps in their mandate areas so the battle against drug abuse could be total. She called on the youths to shun anything that would make them resort to drugs, and pleaded that they commit their lives to God so they could enrich the society.