Association Seeks Rehabilitation Of Drug Addicts

The Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) Aba Zone, Dr Godwin Uwaoma, has appealed to Abia government to rehabilitate drug addicts at York Street in Aba, to further reduce crime in the state.

Uwaoma said in Aba recently that only the state government had the political will to stop the illicit drug activities at the York Street, Aba.

York Street for years has become a notorious area where all manners of drug addicts and peddlers converge daily to either consume or transact hard drug businesses unabated.

He said that he was a victim of the vicinity for 13 years for his Emmanuel Medical Centre in one of the surrounding buildings which he later abandoned and relocated because the unclean activities was affecting his medical profession.

“They pursued me away. I was there for 13 years at Nwazota building, my signpost is still there. Initially York Street wasn’t like that. “If government want to remove them there, it won’t take more than a day, the law enforcement agencies are not doing enough to stop the illicit business in the area,’’ he said.

Uwaoma said that the addicts occupying the area could be rehabilitated at either the Remand Home along Opobo Road, Aba or the Psychiatric Hospital at Mgboko, near Aba.

“They should be rehabilitated. We have a remand home at Opobo Road and a psychiatric hospital at Mgboko.”  Bring the experts as well as the religious bodies to rehabilitate them because they are the effective means of achieving results,” he said.

He condemned the motor parks at the spot, stressing that it would also contribute to such illicit activities at York Street and as well make the environment ugly.

“If you cite a motor park there, it may make a little difference, but it will affect the aesthetic nature of the town. I don’t think that everywhere should be a motor park,” he said.