BY BENSON OKOBI-ALLANAH
IT is no longer an issue that is enveloped in doubt as their presence on the streets of Asaba is ubiquitous.
Many of them have turned lunatics coming as resultant effect of their deep involvement in the use of drugs. Many of our youths in the country today have from the promising youths and leaders of tomorrow they were thought of becoming, turned lunatics through drug-taking, drugs like heroin, cocaine, loud, Indian hemp etc, which have made nuisance, and turned them to valueless and worthless beings.
The presence of a good number of them seen on the streets of Asaba, and with more than half of them homeless, is what compelled Pastor Segun Aderogba, a resident of Asaba, human rights activist and businessman from Ogun State, take it upon himself to come to The Pointer newspaper corporate office to express his displeasure on the ubiquitous presence of these young men turned lunatics as a result of drugs, and suggests ways they could be taken off the streets of Asaba, and its other suburbs.
To Segun Aderogba, these lunatics need rehabilitation, and to achieve this, a rehabilitation center should be provided for them in the state capital. Though he admitted not being ignorant of the fact that the state government is building a rehabilitation center at Kwale in Ndokwa west local government area, he says he doubt if that one alone will be enough to contain them, considering their large number.
Aderogba says he suspects that some of them were brought in from other states, as according to him, the presence of lunatics in Asaba, were not as much as they are now.
Their state of insanity, which he says is drug-induced, he suggests, could still be handled as the loosed nuts in them have not totally worn out and beyond screwing back.He says seeing them all over the streets of Asaba, is irritating, stomach-churning, worrisome and disturbing. He is of the opinion that additional rehab center be also built in Asaba in addition to that of Kwale since they have a larger number of these lunatics in the state capital.
He points out that going to places in the capital city of Asaba like Ochelle in Umuezei area, Koka junction axis, some areas around Ogbeogonogo Modern Market, along Nnebisi Road, Oko axis, Igbuzo junction, Achalla-Igbuzor, Anwai axis, the pedestrian bridge at Abraka area of Asaba,Okwe General Hospital axis, the Niger Bridge Head, Midwifery Market area, hordes of lunatics could be seen in all those places, dirty-looking, with disheveled hair, in tattered-smelling clothes, and with their clothes most times left over all the roads and streets of Asaba.
He says apart from the state government taking up the gauntlet, the Oshimili South local government can as well see what they can do to get the lunatics off the streets of Asaba. He said if High Chief Obi Kelvin Ezeyinli, the Ikemba of Asaba, the immediate past local government Chairman, and also aspiring to come back for a second tenure,wins, he should also look into possible ways of building a rehab center for these lunatics that have taken over the streets of Asaba.
Aderogba called on the Delta State Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Barr. Abubakar Wada, and his men to ensure that their presence in the state capital is frequent and pleads with the state government to help provide a befitting office to serve as the headquarters of the command in Asaba, the state capital. He suggested the old NITEL building at the Dennis Osadebay Way which could be used for such purposes by the state government by liaising with the federal government, owners of the property.
