Abia first lady, Priscila Otti seeks Urgent measures Against substance Abuse, illicit drug trafficking
The first lady of Abia State, Mrs. Priscila Chidinma
Otti has said that drug abuse is a serious issue that affects individuals and communities world wide, noting that it’s very important to take proactive steps or address this problem.
The wife of the Governor of Abia State, Mrs. Priscilla Chidinma Otti, has strongly advocated for total eradication of drug abuse and trafficking of high substance into the country.
The Abia first first lady, stated this when she attended a two-day Drug Prevention Treatment and Care (DPTC) training organized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) for Governors’ Wives in Abuja, the federal capital territory, where they were charged on the need to lead the State Drug Control Committees, advocated urgent action against drug abuse.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the programme, Mrs. Priscila Otti, stated that part of their resolve was a call on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency regarding the rampant issue of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
Mrs Otti, emphasized the urgent need for the government at all levels to allocate resources to combat the widespread problem of drug abuse considering the rate of it’s surge.
She informed that part of what they where charged to do was to chair the State Drug Control Committee to enhance their effectiveness in implementing rehabilitation programs aimed at achieving holistic recovery and addressing both the physical and mental health aspects of drug addiction, along with harm reduction strategies. She however, promised to establish and chair the State Drug Control Committee at the state and local government level with relevant stakeholders.
According to a press statement issued by her Chief Press Secretary, Ndubueze Justice, said Mrs. Otti also outlined her plans for community outreach initiatives to support the NDLEA’s Drug Integrity Testing Policy, aimed at early detection of drug users and timely intervention to prevent addiction progression. Additionally, she pledged the full support of the Abia State Government, led by Governor Alex Otti, in fostering collaboration between NDLEA and other security agencies to combat drug use and trafficking.
“we will establish a dedicated channel through which we can scale up gender responsive drug demand reduction and treatment interventions among female drug users who despite high prevalence of drug use have very low rate of accessing treatment, she added”.
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Mrs. Otti used the medium to commended the dedication of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady and wife of the President, to the welfare of Nigerian women, and applauded the efforts of the NDLEA, under the leadership of Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), in addressing the scourge of drug abuse and trafficking through initiatives such as the workshop.
The wife of the Governor, Mrs. Priscilla Chidinma Otti, was among the first ladies awarded and decorated as Ambassadors for the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) by the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Muhammad Buba Marwa (Rtd.)
