Buba Marwa, the chairman of Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse, PACEDA, on Sunday, commended the proprietors of rehabilitation centres in Kano for taking care of drug addicts.
Mr Marwa, a retired brigadier-general, made the commendation during an interactive session with some drug users undergoing rehabilitation at Rochas Tsangaya Foundation and Mai Mari Rehabilitation Centres all in Kano State.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the committee chairman and the members also visited the state-owned rehabilitation centre in Kiru Local Government Area.
Mr Marwa commended the state government for the establishment of the centre which has over 200 inmates.
He urged the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, to establish two more centres in other senatorial zones of the state.
According to him, the committee’s interactive session with the inmates was part of President Muhammad Buhari’s efforts towards freeing the country from drug abuse.
He explained that the committee would use all the information gathered during the four-day tour to the state for further actions.
Mr Marwa said: “the aim of setting up the committee by President Buhari was for it to go round the country and find out the major causes of drug abuse and generate solutions from stakeholders.
“We are going to do everything possible to present to the president all the causes and solutions we have gathered. We have confidence that he is going to work seriously with our report.”
In his address, the Head of Mai-Mari Rehabilitation Centre, Khalifa Zakari, commended President Buhari for setting up the committee to fight against drug abuse.
According to him, the centre has over 250 inmates undergoing rehabilitation and skill acquisition programme.
“We are giving them both the Islamic and western education; the students came from various states and even from neighbouring countries, and they are doing very well.” he said.
He appealed to the committee to do everything within its power to ensure that the rehabilitation centre got registered with the National Examination Council, NECO and West African Examination Council, WAEC.
Similarly, Muhammad Dan-Zaria, the Head of Tsangaya School along Airport Road Kano, said the centre had no fewer than 700 inmates.
He urged the committee to help facilitate the expansion of the school, particularly the accommodation.
According to him, some of the students are currently pursuing Diploma and National Certificate in Education, NCE, programmes.
NAN
