The Vanguard Against Drug Abuse (VGADA), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), says it will collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) FCT command, in the fight against drug abuse.
The President of the organization, Dr Hope Abraham disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
He explained that the collaboration aims to successfully curtail the drug menace in the FCT.
Abraham said that the collaboration had become necessary due to the rising cases of illegal consumption of prohibited substances, especially among youths.
“Substance abuse has been on the rise in recent times and the rising case in Abuja has called for concern to the general public.
“We want to urge the NDLEA to help in the fight against drug abuse by organizing more workshops and sensitization programmes to alert our targeted audience on the menace,” Abraham said.
He claimed that the organization had, on its part, embarked on occasional sensitization programmes to the dangers of drug abuse in various schools in and across the country.
Abraham said that recently it organized a programme in Kogi State University (KSU), Anyigba, where dangers of drug abuse were emphasized at length.
He, however, noted that the responsibility of sensitizing youths to the dangers of illicit drug consumption could not be left to the NGO and the public without the help of the NDLEA.
“We cannot do this on our own without involving the NDLEA to help in the fight and see to the end of drug abuse in Nigeria,” he said.
He advised parents to monitor their wards and children to know the kind of company they kept, adding that it would help to reduce the rate of the abuse.
The president of the organization also urged public spirited individuals to join hands in the fight, saying, “We must all take on this fight to safeguard our future.”
He called on the government to provide more facilities for the rehabilitation of victims of drug abuse to aid their reintegration into the society.
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