Drug abuse is destroying our homes ― Bauchi Emir laments

EMIR of Dass in Bauchi State, (Dr) Usman Bilyaminu Othman II has lamented the high rate of drug abuse in the society particularly among youths lamenting that the menace is causing a lot of issues in the homefront.

The Emir said this while delivering a speech at an Annual General (AGM) and Scientific Meeting of the Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, (ATBUTH) Bauchi Branch.

Bilyaminu Othman who was the Royal Father of the Day at the programme said that farmers and wives are all into drugs addiction in order to be productive a situation he said is gradually getting out of control unless something urgent was done to arrest it.

He said that “Our wives and women at home that are into petty trading are taking drugs so that they can work extra hard in order to earn more and that is causing a lot of issues in our matrimonial homes and places of day-to-day activities”.

The Emir added that “Most of our farming communities are taking drugs, even tramadol, in order to boost their energy so that they can work well in the farm” which according to him, drug abuse is a business that brings so much money to those into it and in turn destroys the community.

The Royal Father said that “the most dangerous aspect of it is the utilization of these drugs by our young men and women” and said that although codeine costs very high, “you’ll be surprised to note that these young men go extra mile to get money and buy these products in order to utilize them in the wrong way.”

Biliyaminu Othman also lamented the poor attitude of the masses in Bauchi State towards accessing medical help saying that, “There are communities, even in  Bauchi here that when you take a medical doctor to the community, they will all run away, more so, if you tell them that this medical doctor is a surgeon, they will all run away”.

He also said that his presence at the programme was an indication of the synergy that exists between the traditional Institutions with the health sector in order to build confidence and create more trust and more demand from the people to make them accept medical services.

“The relationship between consultants, medical personnel and the community, according to him, is key in moving the health sector forward”, he said.

The Emir who is the Chairman of the Bauchi State Action Committee against Polio, assured of the continuous support of the traditional Institution in the state in enlightenment, creating more and more understanding on the dangers of taking these hard drugs and the need for them to always access medical help.

“By bringing in traditional leaders to partner with medical personnel, we have seen more and more progress, acceptability of our medical personnel in our rural communities,” he stated.

While delivering his lecture on the theme: ‘The Menace of Drug Abuse’, the Guest Lecturer, Dr. Moses Audu, an Associate Professor and Consultant Psychiatrist, Jos University Teaching Hospital, (JUTH) called on parents to monitor the activities of their children in order to reduce drug abuse in the society.