Who Wants to Die of Drug Abuse? … Inner Wheel Club Nigeria President Spotlights the Dangers to Ebonyi State University Students
It was the shortest speech on the occasion, less than one and a half minutes. It was just a story, a very short story, but it was most didactic and impactful. This is talking about the speech of the National Representative and President of Inner Wheel Clubs in Nigeria, IWM Karin Uwaje, at the awareness campaign lecture on the consequences of drug abuse for students of Ebonyi State University on Friday, 8th November 2024.
The lecture was the flagship of activities in the wings of the meeting of the National Governing Body, NGB, of Inner Wheel Nigeria which was held from 7th to 9th November in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital city. The story, according to IWM Uwaje, was about her relation, who took to drink addiction early in life, struggled with and died of liver disease and kidney failure at about the age of 40. “He took to beer and he took his beer excessively. That went on and on and in the long run, he damaged his liver and kidney and died of liver cirrhosis and kidney failure,” she concluded her story.
The suspense as she handed over the microphone was so palpable that the MC, PDC Rose Ezeadikwa, was left with no room but to ask the students, “Would you like any of your loved ones to die that way?”, to which they shouted a “No!” that reverberated through the capacious auditorium.
The sound of the no was a fitting climax to the lecture which featured the Assistant State Commander, Drug Demand Reduction Unit of Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Ebonyi State, ACN Lazarus Alatoru, as Guest Speaker. In his lecture, he drew a line between normal medical drugs prescribed by doctors for treatment of ailments and what he described as psycho-active substances which are drugs that work on the brain and affect the way the body functions. This later class of drugs constituted the focus of the lecture because according to him they were often taken without doctor’s prescription and were prone to addiction and abuse with fatal consequences for individuals and society.
He explained that people took to drug abuse for various reasons including genetic inheritance from parents who abused drugs, socio-cultural practices that tended to encourage or support drug abuse, dysfunctional personality problems ranging from treatment of psychological ailments to low stress and frustration tolerance levels, etc. Whatever the cause of drug abuse, ACN Alatoru was emphatic that the affected individual should seek professional help rather than resorting to psycho-active substances, arguing that there was a natural harmless remedy for every ailment that could be treated with such drugs. Responding to a question on the giveaway signs of a child into drug abuse the Drug Law Officer gave a checklist which included withdrawn, anti-social lifestyle, sudden secretive ways, disordered behaviour, careless, tardy dressing, evasive and irritable behaviour and other out of-character behaviours in a child.
Earlier in her welcome remarks as chief host of the programme, the District Chairman, IWM Deborah Chinwe Okah, said the awareness campaign was organized in collaboration with NDLEA and BERWO Foundation, the pet project of the wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Her Excellency, Chief Mrs. Mary-Maudlin Ogbonnaya Nwifuru. “It has become very important that we talk to you as our children about the grave dangers of drug abuse because it has become so pervasive among youths and is wreaking untold havoc in society,” she said.
Speaking as a representative of BERWO and the Governor’s wife, Barr. Kelechi Mbam said Her Excellency was sending a message of support, encouragement and cooperation to Inner Wheel Club for initiating the awareness campaign, describing it as an effort to inspire and equip youths with the knowledge and mindset to live a healthy life free from the destructive effects of drug abuse.
The Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Ngozi Emeka Nwobia, speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor of the University, expressed gratitude to Inner Wheel for choosing the school for the campaign. “It is heart-warming to note that you chose EBSU out of all the higher institutions in Ebonyi State for this programme,” she said. Describing drug abuse as a silent killer, Prof. Nwobia called on the students to maximize the opportunity of the lecture to learn how to escape the dangers and consequences of the menace.
With that advice ringing in the ears of the students, dignitaries and participants trooped out of the auditorium to the colourful session of group photos preceded by the sharing of souvenirs (writing materials) to the students and the planting of trees for safeguarding the university environment. Dignitaries took turns to plant trees ranging from the President, IWM Uwaje; Deputy National Representative, IWM Funmilayo Ogunsi; National Treasurer, IWM Iyabo Arogundade; Chairman, District 914, IWM Okah; and together the Chairman, District 910, IWM Ifeyinwa Ntima; Chairman, District 911, IWM Nike Sodipo; Chairman and District 913, IWM Solanke Abimbola followed by NDLEA Representative, ACN Alatoru; and the Representative of BERWO, Barr. Mbam.
