Running from reason

Running away from danger is one attribute that every rational being exhibits. It is in our make-up to fight back and when such threats overwhelm us, to take flight. The greatest evidence that a country is being mismanaged is the rate of migration of citizens out of the country. There has been a massive exodus of Nigerians running away to other countries including those that once depended on Nigeria for sustenance. It may be correct to say that among ordinary Nigerians, the only ones that are still living here are those who have not yet succeeded in finding a way out and a few others who have found  ways to cope with the harsh reality of their environment.  Well, this is no longer news

I am bothered about some other escape routes that an increasing number of Nigerians have invented for themselves; escape routes that make the country more uninhabitable. The reality of the Nigerian environment is so painful that many of her citizens cannot bear to contemplate life in the natural state. They desire instead, to get high and stay high for most of their waking hours. This is a dangerous trend. A situation where virtually every commercial driver you see is driving under the influence of hard drugs is despicable. Hard drugs are now common everywhere as if there was never a law regulating their sale and use.

At a traditional festival I attended somewhere recently, I saw Indian hemp peddled openly in one corner of the festival arena and I shuddered. The person that invited us for the festival explained that it was normal.

At Amaawusa, Mbaise road, Orji and other parts of Owerri, it is common to see young people wrapping and smoking the stuff with reckless abandon in broad day light. Years back, hard drug users had to go far into the bush or hide inside uncompleted buildings to indulge in the anti-social habit. Not anymore. They now share it with policemen and other security agents whose job is to arrest them. Why should they not do it boldly?

We know of many complications of hard drug usage and that is why various governments around the world are serious about upholding the laws they have put in place to protect their people from hard drugs.

The truth is that these substances only create an illusion of wellness and happiness which the deceived user interprets to be the real thing. Unfortunately, no matter how good they make the user feel, these drugs are out to destroy one’s happiness and damage one’s life. The high incidence of mental illness in our society is traceable to the abuse of hard drugs.

The very deceitful nature of hard drugs is the more reason why a caring government should seek to protect vulnerable citizens by effective law enforcement. Most people who embrace hard drugs as a source of comfort in their times of pain often realize too late that these substances are not friends. By that time, the damage is done. The body is addicted and can no longer find its rhythm without the enslaving substance. It is the government’s duty to take proactive measures to shield citizens from the monstrous stuff. Considering that we do not yet have good institutions to take care of people whose mental health is wrecked by hard drugs, it is more advisable to prevent than to cure or manage.

Beyond mental illness, hard drugs also promote high crime incidence. It is an expensive habit and once anybody is hooked, he or she has to do anything to raise money to service the habit. It also gives users a false sense of strength and security and increases their ability to undertake very risky tasks. This is another good reason why the government must take the fight against hard drugs more seriously.

I wish to appeal to my compatriots to desist from embracing hard drugs in any guise. It does not really soothe any pain in the long run. It only multiplies sorrows. I agree that there are frustrations that can be overwhelming but it does not pay to compound your sorrows by wrapping live coals of fire in your garment. That substance you embrace and trust in your time of need does not care about your happiness and will not hesitate to reduce you to nothingness. If you are in doubt, check the lives of those who started using these substances years before you.

To our governments at various levels, I wish to appeal to you to make life more bearable for the citizenry. There is no greater glory in this life than becoming immortalized by your people because you have affected their lives positively. It is possible to etch your name deep in the memories of your peoples’ minds. Just render selfless services to the people and watch them lift you unto the pedestal of gods.

Again, the job of regulation falls within what is expected of political leaders. A situation where about seventy five percent of the young people you rule over are drug addicts is appalling. If they were gainfully engaged in productive ventures, most probably, they would not be drug addicts on their way to dereliction. A situation where political leaders acquire huge quantities of hard drugs and distribute same to guests and political supporters is condemnable. A situation where political leaders are themselves serious addicts paint a hopeless picture. A serious responsibility hangs on the head of every political leader to rid this society of this very potent danger to a progressive future.

I wish to appeal to public-spirited individuals, civil society groups and so on to make the problem of drug use and abuse a cardinal topic of their discourses and social change programs because it is one big challenge that has not received the attention it deserves in the Nigerian society.

NNENNA Ihebom