By Fred Uzo
The Niger Delta Development Commission has opted to join the campaign to rid the region of drug abuse and cultism. Last week, the Commission led by the acting Managing Director, Engr. Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua, held a one-day campaign in Uyo, harping on suppressing these two vices which has eaten deep into society and destroyed the promising future of the young generation.
Audu-Ohwavboua, who was represented by the Director of Youths and Sports, NDDC, Offiong Ephraim, pointed out that insecurity, violent crime and restiveness are endproducts of cultism and drug abuse, saying the best way to win the war against vices which has made peace and development difficult, is to focus on helping young people make informed choices against indulgence.
He said, “We decided to embark on this campaign because this is the right time to catch the young ones and tell them why they should not indulge in drug abuse. The problems associated with drug abuse are so enormous to quantify. We all know that, even in our society, people are not sure of their safety because of cult activities are everywhere.
“After this seminar, if anyone approaches you to join cultism or indulge in drug abuse you should be able to say ‘no’ because of the dangers that go with these vices”.
The development of Niger Delta wouldn’t be complete without salvaging it’s youth population is makes more than 70% of regional demography. According to analysis, two third of this population live below poverty line and are fighting to keep level head on daily basis. Not every young man or woman in the Niger Delta is a militant. Certainly, majority of them have aspirations to become agents of change to better their families and communities but, the reality is, they are faced with very hard choices, without support to fulfill their dream. Young people in the region need support to develop and lead in their communities.
Youth development entails preparing a young person to face the challenges of growing into adulthood and reaching his or her full potential. He or she must be trained to develop socially, ethically, emotionally, physically and cognitively. As well, he or she requires mentorship in leadership skills including the ability to analyze his or her own strengths and weaknesses, set personal and vocational goals, and have the self-esteem, confidence, motivation, and abilities to carry them out. Experts say, youths that are constructively involved in learning and doing and who are connected to positive adults and peers are less likely to engage in risky or self-defeating behaviors.
More importantly, a well-developed youth is hardly influenced by the opinions and behaviors of others, especially if these opinions or actions negate norms and values of society. It is within the scope of the NDDC to undertake measures necessary to promote both the physical and socio-economic development of the Niger Delta Region. As such, the reforms in NDDC should also focus on youth development. After all, investing in leadership training and development of youth will ensure that the region has enough skilled manpower to manage even the infrastructure built for the region.
There must be a strategic plan to raise a generation that would say no to drugs, cultism, militancy, restiveness, but embrace peace building, conflict resolution and tolerance. Hence, the seminar by NDDC wouldn’t have come at a better time than now, when it is trendy to indulge drug abuse and crime. However, the seminar should go beyond a day’s event, as a matter of fact, there should be mentorship program in each state to train and support young people.
The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs had blazed a trail in this direction by building ultra-modern purpose specific skills acquisition centers across the nine Niger Delta States. These centers could provide a staging ground for leadership training where effective programs and interventions targeted at youths to promote peace building, patriotism and productivity.