In a move to check the negative impact of drug abuse and illicit drug sales, the Delta State Government has commenced the building of a rehabilitation centre in Kwale to rescue victims of the menace. The project resonates with hopes that the afflicted persons would get a new lease of life.
Society has painfully watched youths, men and women go through the conundrum of mental derangement on account of hard drugs consumption. The condition can also be orchestrated by alcoholism. Furthermore, negative ritual practices account for some cases of madness. Regularly, deranged fellows could be spotted parading the streets clad in rags, some clearly nude.
The heartwarming initiative was announced by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori through the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, at an event to commemorate the 2024 United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, held in Asaba, the state capital. The Governor said the centre, when completed, would be equipped with the necessary tools and professionals to deliver standard services for victims of drug abuse.
The policy thrust is not only to restore drug abuse victims to the highest possible level of mental functioning but to ensure their re-integration and empowerment to enable them fit into the society with dignity and purpose. Beyond the facility under construction, government, he said, will intensify its advocacy efforts against drug abuse and sales, targeting schools, communities, churches and mosques, and the entire society.
The most visible impact of drug abuse yet is the deplorable mental state of the victims. In some, the evidence is outright madness. The victims cut across every segment of the society regardless of social or economic class, age, or gender. In others, the victims are perpetually in a depressed state, moody, in self-imposed seclusion, etc. Evidently, in this state of mental state, the victims have become prisoners to drug abuse, useless to themselves, family, and society.
They constitute a huge burden on their families, society and government as being witnessed across the entire country even till today. Regrettably, they represent centres of loss to the economy, whether at the family, corporate or governmental levels.
The establishment of a rehabilitation centre in the state would also serve the interest of other trauma victims whose condition may have been caused by non-drug factors such as accidents and tragic circumstances like loss of loved ones, loss of investments and sundry incidences. All in all, the victims of substance abuse and non-drug induced mental conditions are unarguably persons who need critical support to recover and lead a normal life.
While we commend Governor Oborevwori for this humane strategic step, it is apt to state like others, including Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, the Governor’s wife, saying at the event that “prevention is a strategic tool for the management of persons with mental challenges”. This is also the position of drug-watch organizations like NDLEA (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency) and NAFDAC (National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control). the message is clear- it’s cheaper to prevent than let the affliction happen.
The preventive option, which costs less, is through well articulated and packaged as anti-drug abuse products to be disseminated to mass audiences. In this preventive advocacy strategy, it is critical that community leaders, faith-based organizations, educational institutions and markets are enlisted as collaborators to champion the information and education campaign.
Moreover, law enforcement agencies, including the nation’s security organizations should be committed, and actively participate in combing our communities to rid them of drug merchants. The drug barons are so wealthy, powerful and influential that they can easily bribe their way through to sustain the evil trade. Minimizing the activities of drug merchants would ultimately cause a decline in substance consumption and mental sickness.
