BY JENNIFER JOHN / OWERRI
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It was appreciation galore for the First Lady of Imo State, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, yesterday, at the Imo state headquarters of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Aba Road, Owerri where she commissioned the Command’s Drug Demand Reduction Center which she recently renovated and upgraded to a 20 bed facility.
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In her address at the commissioning ceremony, the governor’s wife described drug abuse as one of the major challenges confronting the nation with devastating impact on the youths.
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Mrs Uzodimma, a lawyer said drug abuse is not a personal problem, but a societal one, which affects everyone in the community; the victims themselves, their families, their friends, colleagues and the community at large, adding that it is a problem that concerns everyone which all hands must be on deck to combat.
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Imo First Lady noted that it was the first time the centre was getting the desired facelift since its establishment, pointing out thar it was in fulfilment of his promise to leadership of the agency when they paid him a courtesy visit on June 24, 2022 and presented her an award as the Imo State Ambassador of war against drug abuse.
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“As a wife, a mother and a ‘war against drug abuse ambassador, I feel incredibly passionate about fighting against drug abuse in our society. The opening of this center is a clear indication of our commitment to eradicating the menace of drug abuse in Imo State and Nigeria at large.
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“This center is vital in our collective fight against drug abuse and will provide critical support to drug users in Imo State, offering a supporting environment for them to detox and recover from addiction. It will also provide counselling and therapy for those who need it, helping them to rebuild their lives and reintegrate into the society”.
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She appreciated her husband, governor Hope Uzodimma for his unrelenting effort, for not only the NDLEA, but other agencies, in the fight against drug abuse and equally commended the Commander, NDLEA, Imo State, Abubaka L Wali and his team for their collective coordination in actualizing the project.
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In his speech, the Chairman and Chief executive officer of the NDLEA agency,retried brigadier General buba marwa represented by the Zone L Commander, IsMila Itta, described what was on ground in the facility as an eyesore, but expressed delight that, through the First Lady’s support, it has been renovated and can now conveniently carry 20 victims of drug abuse, for rehabilitation, saying posterity will remember the Governor’s wife for her kind gesture.
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He said, having followed the governor’s wife’s trajectory, they know she has done a lot but called for further support from her, especially in rehabilitating and equipping their skills workshop, meant for skill empowerment of those rehabilitated from drug abuse.
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