Obi calls on NDLEA to re-strategise on drugs to halt the increasing indulgence of youths on narcotics and other dangerous substances.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 elections and erstwhile Anambra governor, Peter Obi has expressed his profound sentiments for the Anambra West local government are of the state, saying that the council is always dear to him.
Obi made the remarks during his visit to the area where he donated N1 million to Rex Universorum Hospital, Mmiata-Anam.
Making the donation at the hospital premises, Obi recalled how his government built the Rex Universorum Hospital, Mmiata-Anam, the first in the entire local government.
He said he was full of happiness each time he realized that the hospital had effectively stopped the people of that area from travelling to other parts of the state to receive medical attention.
Handing over the cheque to the hospital management, through the Hospital Administrator, Rev Sr. Dr. Sapientia Ameke, Obi said “I am part of Anambra West. This was where I started my developmental projects when I became the Governor. I know the history of Rex Universorum Hospital and the critical role it plays as the only hospital in Anambra West Local Government. I am proud of what Sr. Ameke has achieved here with the little resources she has. I will continue to partner and support them for the benefit of this society”.
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In her words of appreciation, Sr. Ameke recalled how, before Obi’s administration built the hospital, pregnant women, often in labour, had to travel by boat outside the local government inorder to receive medical attention.
She acknowledged that Obi had always supported the hospital and appreciated him for coming to their aid.
In another development, Obi, has called on the Federal Government, especially the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to re-strategise on how to arrest the present menace of hard drugs in Nigeria, which, according to him, “is evidently ruining many youths.”
In a statement made available to the press by his Media Office, Obi said it would be irresponsible on the parts of the elders to keep quiet in the face of the ugly stories emanating from different parts of the country on the new trend on hard drugs among Nigerian youths.
While commending various groups that have spoken on the menace, especially some towns that have been trying different methods to arrest the disturbing trend, Obi called on the NDLEA to devise a new strategy that will involve working closely with the government of various town unions across Nigeria towards arresting the new development.
Describing the youths as the future of any society, Obi said that when these youths that the society is supposed to repose hope on are disoriented or rendered visionless by a society that does not take their future into consideration, they may likely go off track.
Obi who said he recognized the great efforts the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency was making in the fight against drug abuse, said that the rapidity and openness with which the youths were embracing the condemnable acts was a sign that something was fundamentally wrong with the Society and called for the society to seek and correct those fundamental wrongs as lasting panacea to the menace.
“The United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) has earlier reported that Nigeria has the highest drug abuse prevalence in the world, with 14.4 per cent of Nigerians presently engaged in drug abuse. The situation will possibly be worse now with the recent spate of drug abuse among Nigerian youths. A timely action by the government and the concerned agencies will help save the youths from the ugly trend”, Obi noted.