Shun Drug Abuse, Governor’s Wife Urges Women, Youths

By Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Apparently worried by the alarming rate of drug abuse among married women, youths and children in Katsina State, the wife of the state governor, Hajiya Hadiza Aminu Bello Masari, has admonished them to shun drug abuse and other harmful substances, saying the abuse is an impediment to realising their future ambitions.

The wife of the governor, who spoke in Katsina while in audience with journalists under the aegis of Correspondents’ Chapel in the state on Friday, lamented that the abuse of prescription and non-prescription drugs has assumed a crisis dimension in the country.

She noted that narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances have become commonplace in many states thereby placing greater responsibility on stakeholders.

Hajiya Hadiza, who is also the founder of a non-governmental organisation, Centre for the Advancement of Mothers and Children in Katsina, said: “In our community, the effects of drugs are evident. The abuse of codeine cough syrups, Tramadol and Rohypnol to mention a few is fast assuming a crisis dimension”, hence the need for all and sundry to work assiduously to avert the ugly threat.

She said: “Children are becoming disobedient and deviant in nature. Spouse battering and broken homes have also been traceable to substance abuse. Others have damaged their organs leading to premature deaths. Drug use is also linked to heinous crimes like murder, arson, rape and cultism.”

On what her NGO is doing to tackle the menace in the state, the Katsina governor’s wife said the NGO has done tremendously well in enlightening women and children on the dangers of drug abuse and also empowered numerous youths in order to make them self-reliant.

She added that winning the fight against substance abuse demands education and proper enlightenment about the dangers of drugs, urging parents to consciously prepare children who are future leaders for the daunting responsibilities ahead of them.

“Childhood is a period of significant development and a great opportunity, observing that as children advance through adolescence, they grow, explore, and have the chance to realise their individual unique potential,” she explained.