Kastina govt plans to establish women drug abuse rehabilitation centre

The Katsina State Government, says it is set to establish a standard drug abuse rehabilitation Centre for women in the state.

The centre will provide counselling, skills acquisition training to both married and unmarried ladies that indulged in drug abuse.

Gov. Aminu Masari stated this when he received the presidential task force committee on tackling drug abuse that paid him courtesy visit on Wednesday in Katsina.

Masari lamented the high consumption rate of drugs and intoxicants by women and youth in the state.

“The State Government is aware of the menace of drug abuse in the state due to the porous nature of its border with the Niger Republic.

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“Some smugglers have been using the porous nature of our border with the Niger Republic to smuggle in different kinds of drugs into Nigeria.

“The Government has established a high powered committee that included NDLEA, Customs, Police, Immigration and NAFDAC to tackle the menace of drug peddling and smuggling, ” he said.

Masari attributed drug abuse to poverty, illiteracy and unemployment as factors that pushed women and youths into drug abuse.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Tackling Drug Abuse retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa said that they were in Katsina to meet with stakeholders with a view to finding a lasting solution to the problem.

Marwa said that the Federal Government set up the committee to reduce the menace of drug abuse to its barest minimum.

“The committee will have an interface with State Government officials, traditional and religious leaders and Local Government officials on how to tackle the menace, ” he said.

The Chairman said that the Committee would spend four days during which the members would meet with various stakeholders with a view to collating Data on how to tackle drug abuse in the state.

NAN reports that high rate of unemployment, poverty and the antics of disgruntled politicians had been pushing youths into drug abuse in Katsina and other states especially in the North Western geopolitical zone.