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ANAMBRA State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), has passionately appealed to the State government to declare a state of emergency on crystal meth, commonly called ‘Mkpuru Mmiri’ in local parlance in the South-East region of Nigeria.
ASATU made the appeal at a special session of the executive arm of the association at its Secretariat Complex, Government House, Awka.
The special session which revolved around the terminal consequences and tragedy associated with indulging in the peddling and consumption of Mkpuru Mmiri, afforded Presidents-General of various Communities ample opportunity to share experiences of the damages the illicit drug has done to youths.
The special meeting of the ASATU executive arm was also a veritable platform for the Community Leaders to proffer lasting solutions to the scourge of the deadly substance ravaging young people in the rural areas.
Comrade Bonny Ozo Nkwuaku, the National Liaison Officer Anambra-Central Senatorial Zone and President-General Enugwu-Ukwu Community in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, said no Community in Anambra State was spared of the devastating and debilitating effects of ‘Mkpuru Mmiri’ such that addicts don’t live up to two years before they eventually die.
He said Mkpuru Mmiri has no cure yet; rather it makes the addict become insane and erratic, and goes about raping women and commiting all sorts of evils and immoralities.
Comrade Nkwuaku however suggested that ASATU should be empowered to go after the dealers and peddlers of the drug in the communities while the police guarantee their confidentiality.
Also, the President-General Nkpor Development Union Worldwide, Chief Ogbueshi Emeka Innocent Mbagha, said the substance had made many boys in the area gone completely mad because they consumed it and said ASATU required the support of the State government to be able to fight the fight against it.
Although Chief Mbagha said they didn’t support the idea of flogging the suspect, and informed that people took to flogging as panacea to momentary madness caused by the illicit drug and suggested too that Mkpuru Mmiri addicts should be quarantined for them to undergo gradual rehabilitation from insanity.
On the other hand, Chief Coleman Uba, President-General Ichida Progress Union, observed that Anambra State was losing its youths to Mkpuru Mmiri, therefore suggested that a taskforce comprising all facets of ASATU, the Police, DSS, NDLEA and some others should be set up to frontally tackle the menace.
National Liaison Officer ASATU South Senatorial Zone and President-General Aguluezechukwu Amb. Ikechukwu Okeke explained that there was need to allow every PG have jurisdictions to arrest dealers of Mkpuru mmiri in other communities to drastically curtail spread and consumptions.
Amb. Okeke also added that he did not support the idea of recording a video of an addict being flogged and posted on the social media as it portrayed the entire southeast in a very bad light.
BY SUNNY A. DAVID
