NAS Visits NDLEA Rehab Centre as Doctor Warns: “Staying Drug-Free Is a Lifetime Battle”

A medical doctor, Dr. Vincent Ogbuogu has warned that staying free from drugs is a lifelong challenge, as members of the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Enugu Chapter, visited the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) rehabilitation centre in Enugu to support clients undergoing treatment.

Dr. Ogbuogu, an orthopaedic surgeon at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, gave the warning, on Wednesday, during the visit, which formed part of NAS’s eight-month _War Against Drug Abuse (WADA)_ campaign. The initiative is run in partnership with NAS’s New England chapter in the U.S. and in collaboration with the NDLEA.

Speaking to clients at the facility, Ogbuogu — who himself once battled drug addiction at the centre — said drug abuse “ruins lives and causes pain in many families.”

“There is nothing good that comes from drug abuse. It takes everything from you. It destroys your finances, career, health, and can eventually kill you,” he said. 

He stressed that while it can take just a day to get hooked, “it takes a lifetime to stay free from drugs.” Still, he urged the clients not to give up on their dreams. “I can tell you that your dreams are not dead. If they were, we all wouldn’t be here today. Take this chance life is giving you to make it right.”

Recalling his own struggles, he said he still experiences nightmares from his time with drugs and warned against relapse. “Don’t go back to drugs when you leave here. If you do, there might be no second chance or redemption again.”

Representing NAS Enugu Chapter Cap’n Oseloka Egbuchiem, Dr. Okechukwu Ogbodo said the visit was the culmination of months of public enlightenment through weekly radio programmes featuring experts and families affected by drug abuse.

“NDLEA has been wonderful in this collaboration in different ways, and we are assuring the agency that we are ready to do more in this war against drug abuse,” Ogbodo said.

Deputy Commander Mr. Joseph Asikehia, standing in for Enugu State NDLEA Commander Owoputi J. Adenkule, thanked NAS for its sustained advocacy and support for the facility.

As part of the outreach, clients performed a drama sketch depicting the consequences of drug abuse, while NAS members distributed toiletries and footballs to the patients.