Disturbed by the increasing rate of social vices occasioned by the consumption of Indian Hemp,? the? Ohom Orba Autonomous Community in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State has warned that henceforth, anybody caught with the hard drug would pay? N5000 fine to the community.
President General of Ohom Orba Town Union, Dr. Pat Emembolu Eze , said this during the campaign against the abuse and increased consumption of dry gin and Indian hemp in the community.
Eze stated that some of the social vices associated with drinking of dry gin and smoking of Indian hemp included robbery, kidnapping, road traffic accident, thuggery and other anti-social behaviours.
He said, “ there is a lot that the family as a basic social unit, religious organisations, town unions of various communities, umuadas, local and state governments can do in form of counseling, advocacy and campaign. Efforts in this regard can be tailored towards defining a preventive mechanism for checking this social menace of drinking and consuming illicit gin, ogogoro and igboo.”
In his speech during the event, the Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Reduction in the State, Godwin Ogenyi, stated that the smoking of Indian hemp was anti-social.
He said, “This situation is affecting our economic development and productivity. We must all join hands to stop it at all costs.”
?Ogenyi also appealed to the church to be a partner in the fight against the anti-social and economic tendencies in the community.
The Divisional Police Officer, Obollo-Afor police station, Mr. Amamu Akaeme in his speech, promised to work with the Neighborhood Watch in the community to arrest and detain anybody caught with the product.
Mr. Akaeme also attributed high rate of mental illness and violent crimes to the consumption of these illicit products.