Senator Hope Uzodinma, the Governor of Imo State, has called on young people in the state to avoid using methamphetamine, also known as ‘mkpurummiri’, and other illegal drugs.
The governor made this plea during an awareness program on drug abuse, which was organized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in collaboration with the Ikukuoma Sports Development Foundation in Ezinihitte Mbaise council area of Imo on Sunday.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Narcotics and Illicit Drugs Monitoring, Chief Ezechukwu Obonna, Governor Uzodinma emphasized that the use of illegal drugs hampers youth productivity.
He encouraged young people to focus on acquiring digital skills and engaging in agricultural practices as a means of making a sustainable living.
“Don’t destroy your future. My motive for establishing the Bureau of Narcotics and Illicit Drugs Monitoring is to make Imo a drug-free state,” he said.
Mr. Lamuwa Shehu, the NDLEA’s Deputy State Commander for Operations and Training, also spoke at the event, highlighting that drug abuse is a global issue where young people who partake in illicit drugs neither live a healthy lifestyle nor contribute positively to society.
“About 280 million people use drugs worldwide; while 15 million persons abuse drugs in Nigeria, 6 million persons are victims who are in dire need of help,” he said.
The founder, Ikukuoma Sports Development Foundation, Chief Summers Nwokie said that the program was intended to disabuse the minds of youths from illicit drug use.
