Wife of Anambra State governor and founder of Caring Family Enhancement Initiative (CAFE), Chief Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano has called for concerted effort by parents, guardians and policy makers to save children from the scourge of drug and substance abuse.
Congratulating the young ones on this year’s Children’s Day, Chief Mrs. Obiano noted that the future of the average Nigerian child is threatened by the reported alarming increase in the abuse of drugs by many within the age of zero to seventeen years.
Chief Mrs. Obiano in a statement signed on her behalf by the Chief Media Officer, Mr. Emeka Ozumba, in commemoration of the 2019 Children’s Day celebration said the theme “Drug Abuse Among Children:
Addressing the Challenges,” was very apt and called for urgent action by parents and all stakeholders, to stop the act.
She decried the debilitating effects of the indulgence that is denying youths the much desired future as leaders of tomorrow. and quoted experts, as saying that psychoactive drugs, such as codeine and tramadol, affect the user’s ability to reason and give him a false sense of well-being.
The Governor’s wife however commended the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for its consistency in the fight against drug abuse among children and youths by identifying the triggers which lead them into injecting prohibited substances which often embolden them to engage in crimes, and challenged parents and other stakeholders to intensify efforts in saving the children from this harmful trend.
She stated that the prevailing socio-economic factors of poverty and privation are major contributors and causes for worry but noted that parents should improve in their parenting duties
and be aware of the kind of friends they keep, and the places they go to.
She also called for measures to stem negative peer influences, anxiety and desire by the youths to hide their weaknesses, and run away from problems rather that taking responsibility.
She also commended the Anambra State Government for providing safety cushions for children through child-friendly policies that have seen them excel at all levels of education and global competitions assuring that her NGO, CAFE, will remain steadfast in its support of government’s initiatives while her advocacy for good maternal and child healthcare will be sustained.
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