Leaders of the Arewa Youth Forum, AYF, have expressed their desire to partner the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in the ongoing offensive against illicit drugs in the country.
Speaking during a visit to the National Headquarters of NDLEA in Abuja, on Tuesday, National President of the AYF, Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim Gujungu, who led other executive members of the Forum on a courtesy visit, said the renewed fight against drug abuse being coordinated by the Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. General Buba Marwa (retd) was commendable.
He said: “We seek to partner with the Agency in its offensive action against illicit drugs.”
He said the Northern youths had decided to support the war against drugs because young Nigerians were now high consumers of narcotics.
He said: “The Arewa Youth Forum is here to seek ways to partner with the Agency in the advocacy and fight against drugs with special focus at treatment and after care, family/parenting, community, school systems, advocacy and sensitization to all groups through traditional institutions, religious bodies, media, NGOs, CSOs, state and local governments, among others.”
He added that he was equally at the Agency to present their concept note on their proposed project called ‘Arewa Youth Forum Drug Free Community Project (AYF-DFCP).
He said “the project which is targeted at six pilot states of Kaduna, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Taraba, Kano and Katsina will serve as another build up and expansion of our project activities among over 10,000 youths in the four initial states, where we implemented the conflict mitigation and peace building project, which was funded by the US Department of State, Abuja.
“We are hopeful that the programme will not only eliminate drugs sale and intake but shall create a way through which participants in the project will have ways to economic engagement and livelihood.”
In his response, Marwa described AYF as a youth group he had known soon after he left Lagos as military administrator.
He said: “It’s a reputable, sincere and committed body that means well for the youths in the North and the entire country.”
He said the issue of drug scourge wasin the front burner in the country, “because it is an issue that doesn’t discriminate between North and South, youths and adults, and unless we stand up collectively this problem may put us under.”
He however said that drug menace was not beyond redemption neither a hopeless situation, while commending the youths for their efforts and initiative.
He pointed out that the Agency would partner them.
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