The founder of a NON-governmental NGO Mallam Niggas Rehabiltation Centre in ,kaduna north western Nigeria ,Sheik Dr Lawal Maduru has warned the society against discriminating and stigmatizing people who suffered mental problems that have been treated,cured and rehabilitated and reintergrated back to the society .
He stated this during an interview with journalists at the centre to mark world mental health day,which is aim at raising more awareness of dangers of Drugs abuses ,and how it affect lives of youth in Nigeria and Africa.
He said ,stigmatizing and discriminating against rehabilitated mentally challenges person would lead to a relapse and subsequently such victims would go back to their old ways and that would be at the detriment of the society.
Sheik Maduru say that victims of mental disease needs love and care and not Stigmatization,adding also that it is the responsibility of state and federal Government,NGOs and CSO with Humanitarian organization to support in rebuilding better life for rehabilitated patients that were send back to their communities.
According to Maduru ,his NGO has in recent times ,treated six mental cases two of them are females .”they are fully OK and ready to be rehabilitated into the society” ,
“I reformed over 1000 mentally challenges and drug addicts in across Northern Nigeria,and they are now helping in educating young once at schools on dangers of taking drugs “
While calling on Government to evacuate all the mentally challenges persons on the streets and those sleeping in trash dump center and uncompleted building to be taking to psychiatric hospital or any traditional rehabilitation centre for treatment
He called on the government to create enabling environment for job creation so that the youths can be gainfully employed thereby reducing the high cases of drug use.
Also responding,pastor yohanna buru who is the National president peace revival and recounciliation foundation of Nigeria has stressed the need to halt stigmatizing mentally challenges persons that were rehabilitated and cured from Hospital or any centre
Buru says “ there is need to educate Nigerians on the dangers of stigmatizing rehabilitated patients,”
He said ,community must joined hands in making life betters for the reformed of new patients
He then concluded by appealing to Ministry of health to help centre that are transforming live better for mentally challenges persons across the 36 states of Nigeria.
“there is need for both federal and state government to evacuate all the mentally challenges persons on the street and markets and those residing in an uncompleted building to be taking back to psychiatrics and other traditional health centre for treating patients,rather than keeping allowing them “
10th October is world mental health day by WHO
