Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
Wives of the governors across 19 northern states, under the auspices of Northern Governors Wives Forum, on Tuesday, converged on Sokoto State to discussed issues of drug abuse among women and youth in the region.
The two-day quarterly meeting was attended by 13 members of the Forum.
They included wives of governors of Sokoto, Bauchi, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kebbi, Gombe, Kano, Kogi, Borno, Taraba and Zamfara states. The wife of Kwara State governor was, however, represented by the deputy governor.
In her opening address, host and wife of Sokoto State governor, Hajiya Mariya Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said the forum was a platform were issues of well-being of member states were discussed.
She said the event with the theme “Drug Abuse in the North was chosen to further tame the menace of drug abuse among women and youths in the region.
In her address, Chairperson of the Forum and Wife of the Bauchi State governor, Hajiya Hadiza Abubakar, said the forum was concerned about the high rate of drug abuse in the north.
According to her, “We are concern about the high rate of drug abuse in the northern. We are mothers and can’t fold our hands seeing our children and youths been destroying by illicit drug.
“On our part, we are using our individual’s non-government organisations in our respective states, in fighting against the ugly trend.”
She promised to continue advocating for a drug-free society through the forum and urged the state governors to supports their efforts toward achieving the goal.
In his remarks, Governor Aminu Tambuwal, acknowledged the multifaceted challenges the northern region is facing at the moment.
He however charged the northern leaders to joint hands in fighting the drug abuse menace in the state.