A Drug – User Focused Organization, Healthy Life Advancement Promotion Initiative, HLAPI is to step up its health and social intervention programmes for drug users in Gwagwalada and Bwari Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
The Programme Officer of HLAPI, Mrs Grace Okoye made this known during a one day external stakeholders’engagement meeting in Gwagwalada Abuja
Mrs Okoye who said the Organization since 2016 had been intervening in the health challenges of drug users towards making them overcome drug usage and abuse stated that HLAPI would also intensify efforts on its advocacy campaign for people who use drugs in the two Area Councils most especially at the grassroots.
“We provide non discriminatory health and social services for people who use drugs and our focus area is Gwagwalada and Bwari and we carry out sensitization and training services for them most especially at the local level because we have different community members as liaison officers on their challenges” She explained.
In her words” We’ve over the years build a relationship with the drug users for them to know that there’s a set of people that care about their welfare which they can trust and open up to and we’ve been able to assist them in overcoming drug use and abuse”
According to her, HLAPI has helped them to know that one of the ways they can stop the use drugs is by starting from reducing the quantities and see how they can stop coming down until they finally put an end to drug intake through self rehabilitation.
The Programme Officer therefore called for the support of religious and traditional leaders as well as relevant Government’s Agencies and Stakeholders in HLAPI activities in the fight against drug usage and abuse.
In a remark, the Head of Health Department in Gwagwalada Area Council, Dr Adeyinka Adeyemi said the Council has also been engaging sensitization campaign against drug abuse in the area.
Dr Adeyemi who was represented by an Health Officer in the Department, Mr Yahaya Barde promised the Council’s support to HLAPI towards achieving its mandate.
Also speaking, Waziri of Aguma Chiefdom in Gwagwalada, Bala Madaki who attributed most youth involvement in crimes to drug abuse called for more public private sector collaboration in ending the menace in the country.
While also pledging the Chiefdom support to HLAPI programmes in Gwagwalada Area Council, the Waziri advised youths in the area to stay out of drugs and always engage in positive ventures that would better their lives.
The Stakeholders Engagement Meeting which was attended by Representatives of NDLEA, Nigeria Police, Correctional Service and other NGOs called for more measures in the fight against drug abuse in the country.
