By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

The Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, (GPFN) in collaboration with the Health Justice Development and Peace (HJDP), embarked on a campaign against drug and substance abuse in the Hayin Banki community in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where over a hundred youths were lectured on the devastating effect of the illegal substances.

The program was part of the Foundation’s commitment to mark the 2024 International Youth Day, with the theme “From Click to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.”

The programme which echoed ” Say No to Drugs”, sought collaborative and concerted efforts of critical stakeholders in the society to curtail the menace of drug and substance abuse in Hayin Banki community and the society at large, an initiative to combat the increasing menace of substance abuse, capable of destroying the society and the people.

Stakeholders at the programme came from Kaduna state Peace Commission, (KSPC) National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) as well as Community and Religious Leaders, who were engaged to provide counseling and expertise advice to the participants who would inturn step down the messages to other members of the community.

In his welcome address, Country Director of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Rev Joseph John Hayab, said: “Our desire every day is to see that the best and successful people come out of the community which is a mini Nigeria with people of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds living peacefully. For that to happen, certain things like drugs and substance abuse must be handled, which is why the organization agreed with the Hayin Banki Peace and Reconciliation Committee to hold such an engagement at such a time, like this.”

“It is a disheartening concern that the menace of drugs and substance abuse in the community is not limited to young boys alone but also girls and married women. It is on this note that I called for self-soul searching and reflection as well as concerted efforts by all and sundry to salvage the situation which is capable of destroying our society.”

“I can assure the youths and everyone here that the gathering is not that of condemnation but as members of one human family under God trying to help each other. Therefore, I call on the youths here present to make use the most of the opportunity accorded them by the program for a positive change.”

The Provincial Secretary, Church and Society Kaduna State, Rev. Fr. Sixtus Onuh Ladi who lamented that the society has allowed things created by human hands to destroy them thereby throwing the future into doubt, said that the programme was a forum for a heart to heart conversation on the way forward, considering the fact that drugs and substance abuse have destroyed and still destroying a lot of destinies in contemporary society.

He called on youths to shun drug, substance abuse and other form of social vices capable of destroying the society and their God’s given talent.

The Country Director of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria (GPFN), Rev Joseph John Hayab, explained that they were in Hayin Banki to meet with young boys and girls, and even older people who are involved in drugs.

“The Global Peace Foundation is working in this community and we have set up what is called Peace and Reconciliation Committee. So we now engage experts in the area of drugs to come and speak to these young people. We wanted a 100 but we seem to be far far beyond that number, just at least to encourage them to come out of it.

If you look at all the violence we are having around us,the motivating force is drugs abuse. Sadly, drugs abuse is not only among boys, you have girls, you’ve women, you’ve men.So it’s something that is destroying the entire fabric of the society. You cannot under rate who will do evil.

So we are appealing to Nigerians to join hands and say no to drugs abuse because it is killing our children, killing the future, it is killing the community and giving room to all the vices we are seeing around us.So in whatever way we do at Global Peace, we would continue to work with communities to do that.”

“Today, the NDLEA came because one of the challenges, we don’t engage the boys.Most times,when they see us they feel we are coming to arrest them.So we are saying no, we want to engage them,transform them and work with them to come out of it, than just fear of arrest. Instead,this will harden their hearts instead of bringing them out.”

The Northern Coordinator of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Malam Haliru Maraya, said the Foundation Found it necessary to organise the programme on fight against drug addiction and abuse in a very renowned community of Hayin Banki in Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

We invited about 100 young members of the community to educate them on the demerit of drug addiction and abuse. Drug addiction and abuse is the fundamental element in crime commission. That is why we find it necessary to start the fight against drug addiction and abuse from Hayin Banki and it’s going to be statewide and to nationwide.

We want crime commission to be reduced in our country to the barest minimum and most of the crime being committed are being committed by the young people. The young people commit the crimes under the influence of drugs. That is why we find it necessary to organise this event to fight drug addiction and abuse.

Rev Father Onu Ladi Sixtus from the Church and Society with Secretariat at Abakpa Kaduna, said the programme was a partnership between them and Global Peace Foundation together with one of their outfits in Hayin Banki, the Peace and Reconciliation Committee.

He said it’s part of a bi monthly town hall round table conversant they’ve been doing with the Global Peace Foundation.

” We did on peace building, now we are bringing it to Hayin Banki young people, men and women of course who are dealing with drugs and substance abuse. We set out to talk to 100 people but we are surprised we got over 150 people.”

He said all stakeholders, traditional rulers and religious leaders graced the occasion including a personnel of the NDLEA who engaged the youths on the ills of drugs and substance abuse .

” We got people from the DSS and the Police who talked to these young people and we were surprised about the things they had to say.We have a Pastor on ground and his wife who are fully involved in a Ministry they called ‘ Ministring to the Streets’ .They have been talking to young people, to talk them out of the streets.

He said what happened at the event was an eye openner which had prompted them to expand the scope.

” Beyond just Hayin Banki, we are going to be talking to almost everybody in Kaduna North and Kaduna town since we know the use of drugs and substance abuse is cloaely related to violence.we can see how we can mitigate it, thankfully we have people from the Kaduna Peace Commission who are also here.They heard what the young people said, sometimes the harassment from the police and other agencies. So we hope to work together with other agencies and see how we can bring peace to the communities.”

Rev Caleb Ma’aji, Chairman of CAN in Kaduna State admonished the youths to be of good behaviour and say no to drugs so as to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Similarly, the Secretary of Jama’atu Nasril Islam ( JNI) in Kaduna State, Malam Ibrahim Kufena, told the youths that with great determination, they could be able to change from bad to good and contribute meaningfully to the growth of society.

From the Kaduna State Peace Commission, Rebecca Sako in her goodwill message,said the issue of drugs abuse had been top on the agenda in all the communities they visited and advocated the establishment of Peace Committees and Action plans in the communities so as to always have activities on the fight against drugs and substance abuse.

In his remarks, the Village Head of Hayin Banki, Alhaji Mahmud Shehu Galadima expressed appreciation to the Global Peace Foundation and orher stakeholders for choosing his community for the programme.He said the youths and entire people of Hayin Banki are law abiding citizens who had listened attentively to the lectures and would heed to the advices.

Chief Imam of Hayin Banki, Malam Abdulsalam said the community has Muslims,Christians and followers of other religions but have been living in peace because their leader, Sarki Mamuda has embraced us all.

“Drug abuse is bad, an addict would never be considered for any position in the society Drug addicts are not respected in the society even by their families
We should avoid it,” he said.