Sports | Amuzi Youths Receive Premium Education on the Dangers of Drug Abuse
Amuzi Youths Receive Premium Education on the Dangers of Drug Abuse
.....As NDLEA Proposes War Against Drug Abuse Initiative Chapter for Amuzi
On Christmas day, the Patriotic Citizens of Amuzi (PCA), a non-governmental organization, sponsored a powerful and productive seminar on Drug Abuse, particularly MKPURU MMRI (a.k.a Crystal Methamphetamine), as the focus of their 2021 convention, themed; “Developing Soldiers Against Drug Abuse”, held at the prestigious Homeland Guest House at Amuzi, Mbaise in Imo State.
The participating youths drawn from the ten villages of Amuzi and surrounding towns and interested parties received premium lectures from very high level representatives of the National Drug Laws Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA), Mbaise Policy Roundtable (MPR) Campaign Against Drug Abuse (MCADA), West African College of Nurses (WACN), the Eze Cletus & Ugoeze Dorathy Oparaoji Memorial Educational Foundation (ECUDOMEF), and the Professor Celestine Onwuliri Foundation (PROFOUND), among others.
The topics discussed included physical description of the MKPURU MMIRI drug, the different forms in which abusers consume it, its effects on consumers, families and communities, mechanism of action and addiction, prevention and management modalities. Also shared were available resources for intervention and mitigation.
The Keynote Speaker was the Assistant Commandant Imo State Command of NDLEA ,Mrs Margaret Nwoko, Guest Speakers from WACN were Mrs Catherine Enefaa Otuibe, Lady Theresa Emeribe, Mrs Martina Onyegule and Mrs Florence Ndugbu. Other speakers are the MCADA Coordinator Mr Ken Onwunali, Dr Mrs Ndidi Oparaoji from ECUDOMEF and Her Excellency Professor Viola Onwuliri from PROFOUND and ECUDOMEF. The Chief Executive Officer of Homeland Guest House Barr Maxwell Opara also addressed the drug addiction menace from a legal persecutive.
To sustain the gains made at the program, the Special Guest of Honor and former Nigerian Foreign Minister, Professor Viola Onwuliri, recommended with enthusiastic applause from the packed arena, that from the quality of training received by the participating youths, that they now qualify as trainers and PCA foot soldiers / Volunteers, for the battle against Mkpuru Mmiri and other drugs. She then recommended that the participants be formalized as the PCA’s arm of war against illicit drugs in the Amuzi community. While commending the Convener, Professor Eddie Oparaoji , a US based Pharmaceutical Executive, Prof Viola urged PCA to partner with the various youth organizations in Amuzi to further prosecute the fight against drug abuse.
The NDLEA Assistant Commandant Mrs Nwoko, embraced this strategy, then offered that PCA establish a chapter of the NDLEA’s War Against Drugs Abuse (WADA) initiative in Amuzi.
It must be recalled that WADA was recently launched by President Muhammadu Buhari, to recreate awareness and send warnings to recalcitrant drug barons and their foot soldiers. He emphasized that WADA is not just a slogan, but a call for civil action for all Nigerians to take active part in this war. This aligns with the appeal made by Dr Mrs Oparaoji, calling all to civil duty of fighting Mkpuru Mmiri, she said, “if you see something, say something”. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the inauguration of WADA is in commemoration of the 2021 UN International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit trafficking.
In his own comment the PCA Convener Prof. Eddie Oparaoji, said, “The PCA is a global platform with well accomplished global personalities of Amuzi extraction, thus constituting it as a conduit for exchanging knowledge and novelties between Amuzi and the rest of the world.”
Other dignitaries and contributors present at the confab are the Councilor representing Amuzi/ Ihenweorie Ward at the Ahiazu-Mbaise LGA Hon Uche Chris Agomuo, Mr Isaac Izunwanne, Chief Victor Obasi, Mr Cyracus Njoku, Chief B.C Nwachukwu, Mrs Iberi Ngozi, Mr Chikaodi Nwaneri, Mr Moses Nwagwu, Chief Joe Kemdirim, Mr Remy Osuji, Mr Vitus Adjero, Mr Udunka, among others.
The PCA’s mission is to harness Amuzi resources to empower the youth and the underprivileged of Amuzi community, regardless of gender, clan, kindred, religion, political affiliation or socio-economic status, to fast track the development of Amuzi.
