The Oyo State government in collaboration with Medicred Limited has organized a day seminar to sensitize members of the Nigerian Association of Patient and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) on how to curb the excessive use of drugs and substances particularly among youths in the state.
The seminar, which was tagged, “NAPPMED The Oyo State Drug-Free Evangelists”, was held at the House of Chiefs, House of Assembly Complex, Secretariat Ibadan.
Some of the participants include top government officials, representatives of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Police and other relevant stakeholders in the state.
While presenting his keynote address, the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin, who was represented by his Deputy, Hon. Muhammed Fadeyi, said that there needs to be all hands on deck to be able to checkmate the abuse of drugs and substances in the state.
The Speaker commended the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for putting the necessary measures in place towards identifying and blocking all avenues that pave ways for increase in the demand of drugs and substances.
He also acknowledged members of the National Association of Patients and Properties Medicine Dealers as critical stakeholders towards reducing and eliminating challenges of drug and substance abuse.
“We recognize members of NAPPMED as Frontline health workers and gatekeepers on matters of drugs and substance abuse within our community particularly at the grassroots level. This seminar is therefore to create the needed nexus between NAPPMED, Oyo State government and other agencies such as NAFDAC, NDLEA. And it is our hope that we can obtain the commitment of the over twelve thousand registered members of NAPPMED across the 33 local government areas of the state at the end of this seminar.
“I’m now using this medium to again appreciate the Youth Empowerment REWIND initiative (YERI), in its quest to charge the fruitful cause for our youths across all the geo-political zones of the state, I want to again assure you that Oyo State House of Assembly will continue to show or to give necessary support to all efforts put forth by the stakeholders in the war against drug abuse in order to successfully reduced the menace in our society,” Hon. Ogundoyin assured.
Briefing journalists on the importance of the gathering, the Special Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Community Relations, Hon. Olufemi Josiah said that the purpose of the seminar is to join hands with all relevant stakeholders to achieve a drug and substance free Oyo State.
“As we are all aware that the menace of drugs abuse has become very prevalent in our society, particularly among our young people, and we found out that in our efforts to combat the menace of drugs abuse, members of the Nigerian Association of Patient and Proprietary Medicine Dealers NAPPMED are critical stakeholders towards achieving this objectives.
“So we are here today to create a nexus among NAPPMED, NDLEA, NAFDAC, we believe that this nexus will give us commitment from their side to the extent that the members will no longer be the channel of illicit drug trading or distribution of this substance.
“A lot of young people have taken into codeine, tramadol, and all these drugs are definitely meant to be sold with prescription, but we found out that people dealing in medicine drugs are the channel through which these drugs get to people who abuse them, and since we have a relationship with the association we are of the view that with the support of this association and the support of the government of Oyo State we would be able to achieve a drug free society.
“If we are able to reduce the number of people who have takye drug and substance abuse as a lifestyle, by blocking the channel through which these drugs get to them, we will expect the NDLEA and the NAFDAC which are federal government agencies to play their part too by arresting those who might have turn themselves into illicit trader of these drugs,” Hon. Josiah said.
Also in her contributions, Mrs. Bukonla Agunbiade, said that the initiative is in collaboration with the Oyo State government in order to make the state a drug free state, stating that her company is working directly with registered NAPPMED members to help in the fight against drug abuse.
“We are worried about the menace of drug abuse in the society and that is why we are here, to do our own bit by training the NAPPMED members to do better and to come on board in collaboration with the state government on this fight against drug abuse.
“The government can do better by training the NAPPMED members periodically to remind them and one such avenue is coming up in November during the Oyo Medicare and Beauty Fiesta, where we will be training over 10,000 NAPPMED members on Psychotherapy.”
Mrs. Agunbiade also advised youths to avoid and stay off drugs, and as well, members of the NAPPMED to give necessary information and prescription to their customers and patients on the use of recommended drugs.
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