By Ijendu Iheaka
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has decried the high rate of drug abuse in Abia State which manifests in a long line of victims awaiting admission at NDLEA’S rehabilitation centre in Aba.
The NDLEA commander in Abia, Mr Dogo Yusuf said this on Wednesday while commemorating the 2023 International Day Against Substance Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking.
The event which is marked globally had its theme as “People First: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention”.
Yusuf lamented that NDLEA’S rehabilitation center could not admit all who wanted rehabilitation in the state because of the huge numbers of drug abuse victims in the state.
“A whole lot of people are standing on the line at the NDLEA rehabilitation centre in Aba waiting for admission because space is not enough, which is a proof that drug abuse is very high in Abia State.
“That is the more reason Abia residents need to abhor stigmatization and help those who are already in trouble to trace their path back to normal life.
“So Abia people needs to support the agency in its move to end stigmatisation and discrimination against victims of drug abuse”, he said.
Yusuf said that stigmatisation against drug abuse victims had over the years prevented such persons from seeking help.
He said that drug abuse victims were humans with inherent dignity, deserving understanding, empathy and support needed to make them feel safe, respected and encouraged to access treatment.
Yusuf, however noted that his message for the event was the same with that of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen. Buba Marwa.
He said he brought the message home to Abia because of the need to make humans the centre of efforts to address drug-related challenges and promote a more compassionate and inclusive approach.
Yusuf said that one message all residents must not forget is that by focusing on “people first,” they recognize that drug abuse victims are not defined solely by their addiction.
The Commander urged Abia people to stand firm and break down the stigmatization barriers that prevented victims from seeking help.
He said that fighting prejudices and stereotypes hindering victims access to healthcare and promoting acceptance, fosters a society that embraces victims on their path to recovery.
Yusuf said although the agency was working to stop stigmatisation of victims, it would not relent in increasing preventive measures.
He said that it is for the purpose of preventing drug abuse that it launched the War against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative in 2021.
According to him, WADA is a crucial tool that facilitates the implementation of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2021-25 which is targeted at three groups.
He said the groups were persons not yet using drugs, especially young people; persons using drugs but yet to manifest any physical symptoms; and persons who have full-blown drug abuse problems.
He said that Abia Command had been very successful in prosecution and conviction of drug criminals, but stressed that the agency faced serious logistics challenges.
Yusuf therefore called for assistance in the areas of logistics and vehicle donation, stressing that drug war is a community-based war needing sound vehicles to reach affected areas.
