From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
Nigerians have been called upon to collectively rise up and fight the menace of drugs abuse in the country.
A Public Speaker and Trainer, Mr Elisha Mamman, stated this when the President and Founder of The Eye Opener Youth and Women Foundation, Mrs Margaret Julius, paid him a courtesy visit in Kaduna on Wednesday.
Mamman who is also the convener of Winning Mindset and Goal-setting Coach, added that no matter how good and skillful a person is, if he abuses drugs, he cannot maximize himself.
“I think the fight is coming at the right time because this menace is really destroying our youth.
“While growing up, I indulged in it a little bit and I saw the effects of cigarettes. I recalled vividly the feelings then, as nothing make sense but it create in you an unusal urge for more. You can eat food as if you are about to die but would not be satisfied,” he said.
On the way forward, Mamman said the fight against drugs and substance abuse must begin from the home front.
He said parents are to be blame as much as government, saying when a society does not have role models then anybody can model a child. Society requires modeling.
“We must try as much as possible to tell ourselves that the failure in our society today is a reflection of failure at home.
“Parents are not even at home, as both are chasing after money. I don’t blame those kinds of situation, but you can’t in the pursuit of money ignore children you brought to this world because they will waste your moneys.
“Imagine if every one of us here are influencing millions of youth for good. So apart from the home we need people in the society who are modeling the right behavior. We are too conscious of money.
“We need to love drug addicts and help them. Most of them got into drugs due to lack of love, care, and it seems as if nobody is interested in them. Talk to a drug addict when he’s calm you’ll discover he’s an intelligent and smart person.
“It is no longer a gender thing because women are also involved in it. So its not about being worried about the young people it is bigger than that. Its about everyone,” he said.
Earlier, President/Founder of the Foundation, Mrs. Julius, said they were in his office to present to him the group’s plan for the year 2020.
She also disclosed that the Foundation would kick-start it activities with a dialogue on drug abuse awareness on February 15, 2020; and urged him to carved out time to host the event.
