The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has described the rate of drug abuse among youths in the Niger Delta region as worrisome, saying urgent steps need to be taken to curb the menace.
The PAP boss, who stated this when members of Pentaglo Nigeria Limited, a drug abuse advocacy group, visited him in Abuja, also condemned the alarming rate of drug addiction among the youths.
While commending the group for their relentless efforts in advocating for a drug free society, Otuaro called on well-meaning Nigerians to lend their voices against what he noted is a serious problem in the region.
He informed that the rehabilitation and reintegration of juvenile delinquents is one of the primary goals of the PAP, and further appreciated the group for its mission of spreading awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
The PAP helmsman added that the group’s initiative is timely as it is what is needed to save the youths and the region from the havoc that drug abuse is causing.
He further added that youths are becoming trapped in the consumption of cocaine, heroin, Indian hemp, Tramadol, and other illegal substances that are harmful to their health.
Otuaro warned that unless immediate action is taken, drug abuse which he said is quickly spreading among young people, would continue to ruin the lives of “our children, who hold the key to the future of our beloved country Nigeria and region.”
He assured the group that his office will support them in their effort to eliminate the juvenile drug culture, which has led to many of the youths losing their minds and their sense of purpose in life, as well as making majority of them suffer complicated mental health issues.
Earlier in his remark, the coordinator of the group, Mr. Seisingha Pondi, bemoaned the increasing rate of drug usage among young people in the Niger Delta.
Pondi appealed for partnership with the Amnesty Office to set up a rehabilitation program that will aid in the rehabilitation of young drug addicts and reintegrate them back to society.
He maintained that the usage of banned substances, if not checked, will continue to destroy young people and make the region experience a decline of its youthful population and workforce.
