Kano Spends N56 Million To Rehabilitate 150 Drug
Kano state government has spent over N56 million in rehabilitating the third batch of 150 youths who were engaged in substance abuse, the state Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso disclosed yesterday.
He made this known during the passing out ceremony of the 150 trainees of the Kano Reformatory Institute, Kiru, one of the 24 Institutes established by his administration.
'For those who have not seen you (the trainees), especially before you are taken to Kiru for reformation, they may hardly understand what has happened to you and by extension to people of Kano state', the governor told the trainees.
He added, 'Three month ago they are not looking like this, they cannot do this parade and I 'm sure they cannot even stand for five minutes properly, now by the mercy of Almighty God they are reformed through the state Reformatory Institute'.
The governor further said that the rehabilitated youths would be taken to Industrial Training Fund (ITF) for training, as done to previous students of the Institute, to enable them learn skills that would help them reintegrate fully into the society.
Kwankwaso further disclosed that so far, 312 drug addicted youths have been reformed, adding that they are currently working either as Corporate Security Guards or as employees of the state road management agency, KAROTA.
In a message to the occasion, the Special Guest of honour and wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo, said “it is heartwarming to see that government has not relented in its war against drug abuse in the state. It has indeed being making progress and is actually succeeding as evidenced today by the graduation of 150 youths who have been rehabilitated and are being reintegrated into the society.'
Hajiya Amina, who was represented by Hajiya Rabi Muktar, assured that she would continue to give unflinching support and assistance to every effort being put in place by the state government to address the problem of substance abuse, which she described as a plague in the society.
While urging the government not to relent in its war against the sale and consumption of illicit drugs, the wife of the Vice President revealed that through her NGO named I CARE, 20 youths were rehabilitated and trained at the Kiru Reformatory.
On her part, the Representative of Minister of Women Affairs, who is also the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Habiba Lawal, urged the trained youth not revert to the menace of drug addiction but to be productive, noting that the ministry is collaborating with the Kano Ministry of Women Affairs to tackle drug abuse and its attendant consequences.