Potiskum LGA

By Tijani Hassan

A corps member serving at Al-Furqan Learners’ Academy, Potiskum, Yobe State, has trained and empowered twenty widows on fashion design and tailoring skills in an effort to eliminate poverty and unemployment amongst women in the society.

The corps member, Chidimma Atuchukwu Obiageliaku, who hails from Anambra State, said the gesture was born out of her passion and desire to assist the vulnerable and less privileged in society.

The Commissioning and Presentation Ceremony held on Thursday, 30 June 2022, at the school premises,  witnessed the presentation of certificates, wrappers, sewing materials and seven new sewing machines to the trainee widows. This came after 6 six weeks of intensive dress-making training and other entrepreneurial skills.

Other projects initiated by the Corps member included renovating and stocking a 40-seater school library to boost students’ learning capacity. She said, “whenever you read a book, it equips you with the knowledge and power to become whoever you aspire to be”, hence, donating the library to the school to equip the students to become great in the future.

In his welcome address, the School Director, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed, represented by Alhaji Suleiman Dauda, commended all the Corps members serving under his watch and specifically the project initiator Chidimma. He added that she was the first of her kind to execute a project of this considerable repute.

The state Coordinator of NYSC Yobe State, Hajiya Hafsat Yerima, represented by the Head of Community Development Service, CDS, Mr Abimbola Akin, expressed her satisfaction with the project carried out by the Corps member and hinted that the state would never forget her in a hurry while urging other Corp members to emulate her good gesture.

In his contribution, the Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Potiskum, represented by the Head of Digital and Visual Library of the College, Mallam Abubakar Hassan, explained that education is the bedrock of every meaningful society which deserves the contribution of all stakeholders.

Hassan, on behalf of FCE (T), Potiskum donated a reasonable number of textbooks to the school as part of their contribution to the project.

The benefiting widows, who were highly pleased, thanked the Corps member for the humanitarian support. The leader of the widows, Mrs Ladi, said the training is a lifetime investment that has transformed their lives beyond imagination. She prayed to Almighty God to grant their benefactor success in her future endeavours.

Other attendees included the Commissioner, Basic and Secondary Education, Yobe State, Dr Muhammad Sani Idris, representative of the Emir of Fika, His Royal Highness (Dr.) Muhammadu Idrissa Ibn Abbali, Humanitarian organisations, parents and students.

In his closing remarks, the School Director thanked the initiator of the projects and the sponsors and offered her automatic and pensionable employment with accommodation and other benefits after her National Service.

The Community Development Service is one of the key components of the NYSC, designed to have a beneficial influence on the lives of the host community.

By Kasim Isa Muhammad

It is socially impertinent how the vulnerable youths in the Potiskum LGA, Yobe State, have succumbed to excessive drug abuse and addiction without realizing how dangerous it could be for their lives, mental health, and what they uphold shortly.

The increase in drug abuse has become a subject that needs actual consideration and drastic action to combat its rapid growth among youths. Potiskum is the epicentre of carrying out various business and educational matters. It has been the giant pillar of Yobe State regarding population and contributions to con-constant revenue generation and youth engagement towards persuading education for the future. 

But on the other hand, the locality is enveloped with thousands of dumped youths who have chosen drug abuse and are helplessly living around some areas of the town. They hardly work for themselves, and even if they did, the credit is artfully exhausted on hard drugs, thereby keeping them unconscious and capable of being involved in any act of immorality.

However, I noticed that some of them have unintentionally become addicted to sedative drugs due to unemployment. I’ve been seeing them in a place where they hide out and observe this deadly menace. I had an informative interview with one of them, who told me about the main ingredient that drove him to such activity.

Nonetheless, the most significant point here is to draw the attention of the government and public agencies with the responsibility of fighting against any felonious acts that can socially affect society. Both parties should immediately intervene to curb the growth of drug consumption and find a lasting solution.

The government should provide job opportunities for the youths, support them with funds to raise a small business scale, and educate them. Providing efficient job opportunities can securely remove the most vulnerable youths from illegal acts. It will also keep them from sabotaging government and public properties, thereby decreasing the crime rates in the town or the state at large. 

Nevertheless, those drug abuse victims urgently need government or private agencies’ support with funds or facilities to grow a local business or enrol them in schools. The majority of them dropped out of school due to insufficient funding and parental support. 

Furthermore, the Federal Agencies in charge of controlling drug abuse and illegal consumption should stand firm in their determination to conduct secret general patrols, seize any hard drugs, and send any guilty person to a correctional facility.

Regardless, it is very harmful to society and the government to spare those victims without any necessary security intervention. If such illegal drug consumption continues to grow among the population, the children will believe that nothing is wrong with dealing with hard drugs. Moreover, the government may find controlling the kids’ law-breaking mentality challenging.

Kasim Isa Muhammad wrote from Potiskum, Yobe state via kasimimuhd1999@gmail.com.