Targets 1, 000 youth
Concerned about rising cases of illicit drugs sale and consumption across hard to reach communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Vanguard Against Drug Abuse, (VGADA), has commenced therapy sessions for drug users in Wumba and Bagalape communities
Executive Director, VGADA, Dr. Hope Omeiza, observed that there are many young people in hard to reach communities that cannot access or afford treatment to get rid of their addiction to drugs that is why the project is taking assistance to where it is most needed.
He stated this at a Youth Alive Drug Abuse Sensitisation, Self Awareness and Treatment (DASSAT), sessions organised by VGADA in partnership Soaring Youth Foundation and Shekinah International Gospel ministry, weekend in Abuja.
He noted that the campaign against drug abuse must be taken to the grassroots that is why, “It is important to get into communities like the Wumba community in Apo axis and Bagalape community in Nyanya, axis next week.
“We are flagging off this programme to ensure that before the end of next year, we are able to reach a thousand youth Abuja.
“This programme is going to host psychological programmes, skills acquisition and social skills programmes with engagements of three days in a week under a circle of three months. It is a continuous so after every three months, we will circle participants in that set.
“They will be undergoing drugs test programmes, drugs resistance skills programmes, drugs refusal skills programmes, conditional skills programmes, self esteem programmes and other area that are of concern and may have triggered behaviour towards drug use,” he said.
Omeiza adds that the project has six clinical psychologist who are administering psychological tools to select those who will fit into the programme.
“There are those who will need confinement in a rehabilitation facility, these are not the scope of this project. The scope of this project are those who fit into an outpatient treatment plan.
According to him, “Through this community programme, we are going to target those people, administer therapy to them and then empower them because after treatment what next for them?
“So they need to be empowered with skills and we are looking at the possibility of getting several government agencies that can come in to support these youth with either conditional cash transfer, grants and also to take up businesses that can increased our IGR, (Internally Generated Revenue), of Nigeria, this is the hope and the scope of this programme.”
Deputy Commander, Narcotics and Assistant Director, Media and Advocacy, at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), Chidi Ndukwu, pointed that the NDLEA is a partner of VGADA on the drive to sensitize communities of the dangers of illicit drug use and sale.
He said “the programme is very helpful because it is in communities like this that you find many of the addicts and drug users. With the setting, you can envisage that we will have quite a number of persons who get involved in drugs here so I think the project is a good one as it sensitizes them and helps them to discover their talents.”
Pastor, Shekinah International Gospel ministry, Akinwumi Michael, said the projects hopes to rescue youths in the community from the destructive use of drugs.
He said “This is a very good support to help us rescue the youth in this local community from drug addiction and several social vices. We have been doing it on our own it we discover that spirituality is not enough to heal the mind of the youth from drug abuse which has eaten deep into them.
“We also discovered that so many of them don’t have purpose for life that is why We are bringing in partners like VGADA in this rescue mission agenda.”
