Chairperson of the Northern Governors Wives Forum (NGWF) Hajiya Asmau Abdulaziz Yari has disclosed that the forum, made up of 19 members has pledged to tackle the hazards of drug and substance abuse in Northern Nigeria.
Speaking recently in Abuja after their meeting, Hajiya Abdulaziz Yari who is the wife of the Zamfara State Governor said, “NGWF after deliberating extensively on its chosen project decided as wives of governors to lend our voices to fight this killer disease. From the statistics we got, it showed that Kano state was the most affected by drug abuse in the region. It is something that people do not want to talk about; there is so much stigma to it.”
Similarly, Hajiya Nana Shettima, the wife of Borno State Governor lamented that the staggering rise and silent acceptance of the trend was possibly a backlash from numerous societal problems. She expressed that “the impact of drug abuse among Nigerian youth is a stigma of morally bankrupt decadent and wasted generation that must be revitalised and collectively salvaged together in order to prevent the total loss of our societal values and ideals.”
NGWF announced that two consultants; Hajiya Hadiza Aliko of the House of Recovery and Dr Vincent Udenze Of Reconnect services would support the forum’s agenda which includes sensitisation campaigns on drugs in the region, launch of personal drug testing kits and a free helpline among other measures that will be anchored by a committee led by the wife of the Niger State Governor, Hajiya Amina Abubakar Sani Bello.
The NGWF further commended efforts by stakeholders at restoring peace and security in the North East, applauded Humanitarian service providers from within and outside the country for their efforts in addressing the plight of the Internally displaced, specifically noting efforts of the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari and her Future Assured initiative