Signature tune
Presenter:
Hello listeners, this is Youth Corner coming
to you from Voice of Youth Radio and the station
you are currently listening to. I am your presenter
Salifu Koroma. In today's edition, Voice of
Youth spoke with the only psychiatric doctor
in the country; a visit to the city of rest
for mentally retarded persons, and lots more.
Stay tuned.
Salifu
Koroma (VoY): One of the effects on youth
during and after the war is drug abuse. Young
people were engaged in the abuse of so many
illegal drugs. After the decade-long civil war,
some young people are yet to abstain from the
use of these illegal drugs, even with the call
from NGOs and the Government. Our reporter Mohamed
Musa Sesay spoke to the only psychiatric doctor
in the country, Dr. Edward Nahim, and first
asked him the distinction between good and harmful
drugs.
Dr.
Nahim: There are two types of drugs:
that is the legal drugs prescribed by doctors
and illegal drugs, which are harmful to the
body and mind. Some of these illegal drugs are:
brown brown, marijuana, cocaine and excessive
alcohol.
Mohamed
Musa Sesay (VoY): What are the effects
of drugs on youths?
Dr.
Nahim: When youths abuse drugs they experience
two types of effects: physical and psychological
effects. Physical normally result in wastefulness
and insanity.
Mohamed
Musa Sesay (VoY): What do you think is
the reason for youths engaging in abuse of drugs?
Dr.
Nahim: Well, most youths engage in drugs
abuse because of unemployment. They spend all
their time in clubs drinking alcohol and taking
drugs. There is something known as drugs hip
hop culture, which is the type of music being
listened to by the youths leading to high sexual
life. Another factor is unemployment.
Mohamed
Musa Sesay (VoY): How do you think we
should tackle this problem?
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Dr. Nahim: Tackling this problem is a
bit difficult but with adequate employment they
will avoid the ghettos. When they have something
to do they will automatically quit. Another
way is by encouraging young men/women to go
back to the provinces and engage in other relevant
jobs, rather than roaming the streets of Freetown
aimlessly.
Mohamed
Musa Sesay (VoY): What is percentage
of drugs addiction?
Dr.
Nahim: The percentage is very high in
the country, for example at the Kissy Mental
Hospital, 80% of patients admitted were as a
result of drug abuse and at the Pademba Road
Prisons, 60% percent of those caught in crimes
are abusing drugs.
Salifu
Koroma (VoY): Listeners, you've just
heard from the only psychiatric doctor in the
country, Dr. Edward Nahim. There is another
popular pastor in town, Pastor Ngobeh, who is
taking care of mentally retarded people. Voice
of Youth's Alarini Bah spoke to him in his office
at Fort Street, which is called City of Rest
and asked him the type of people he attends
to.
Pastor
Ngobeh: We counsel drug addicts and those
that are traumatized, stressed or depressed,
and even sick people.
Alarini
Bah (VoY): Which of these people is the
most common attended to?
Pastor
Ngobeh: Drug abuse is common.
Alarini
Bah (VoY): What is the percentage of
drug addicts in your institution?
Pastor
Ngobeh: I can't give you an estimated
percentage, all I can say is that they are many.
It is an epidemic in the whole country, with
young people as the majority.
Alarini
Bah (VoY): Who are your sponsors?
Pastor
Ngobeh: We have sponsors from faith-based
ministries and also pledges from other churches.
Alarini
Bah (VoY): What is the help of the Government
towards this institution?
Pastor
Ngobeh: That is a good question. As at
now we have been appealing to the Government
to provide land for the construction of a larger
complex that will house at least one hundred
people, but to no avail.
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Alarini Bah (VoY): How many centers were
established for counseling?
Pastor
Ngobeh: I don't know, there may be lots
of them but for drug rehabilitation centre,
City of Rest is the only center. The people
of Bo, Makeni and Kenema are calling for the
establishment of a center in their communities,
but there are no available funds for expansion.
We couldn't utilize World Vision either.
Alarini
Bah (VoY): What is the maximum age of
drug abusers?
Pastor
Ngobeh: The age is eleven years and above
because during the war these young boys were
used by combatants to buy and transact drugs.
Alarini
Bah (VoY): How do you treat them?
Pastor
Ngobeh: We have one major help from the
Almighty God and sometimes we call on Dr. Nahim
to come in.
Alarini
Bah (VoY): What is your advice to non-addicts?
Pastor
Ngobeh: I will advise them not to take
adventure, as this will ruin them. Some people
call them evil spirits, not knowing that drugs
mentally retard them.
Alarini
Bah (VoY): What is the female/male ratio
in your institution?
Pastor
Ngobeh: The males are the highest. The
ratio is about 33% for males and 10% for females.
Salifu
Koroma (VoY): That was Pastor Ngobeh
at his City of Rest on Fort Street. You are
listening to Youth Corner coming to you from
Voice of Youth radio and the station you are
presently listening to. I am your presenter
Salifu Koroma. In the programme today, Sierra
Leone's only psychiatric doctor has disclosed
the percentage of drug abusers, Pastor Ngobeh
of the City of Rest has appealed to Government
for support. Yet to come in the programme, what
are the role of the police in combating drugs
abuse? But first, let's take a short music break,
Storm is Over by Robert Kelly, we'll be right
back.
(Music Break)
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Salifu
Koroma (VoY): That was Storm is Over
by Robert Kelly. Indeed the storm is over for
youths taking drugs as the police are working
very hard by raiding cartels in the country.
In order to stop drug abuse in the country,
what is the role of the police?
Police
(Sargeant 3375 Umaru Sesay): The Sierra
Leone Police is doing all it could to sensitize
drug users about the use of illegal drugs. We
embarked on radio programmes sensitization and
we also conducted raids.
Salifu
Koroma (VoY): People are complaining
that drugs are seriously abused in ghettos even
with your efforts?
Police:
I don't have much to say because the police
is always arresting and charging these offenders
to court. We actually don't know what is happening
in the court.
Salifu
Koroma (VoY): How is drugs contributing
to the increase in crime rates in the country?
Police:
Since drugs are expensive, the abusers commit
crimes to buy them?
Salifu
Koroma (VoY): What is the punishment
for criminals under the influence of drugs?
Police:
Well, the charges are applicable to that of
the law.
Salifu
Koroma (VoY): That was the Assistant
Head of Police Media at the police headquarters
in Freetown Sargeant 3375 Umaru Sesay. To know
more about the effect of drugs, our reporter
Ramata Fofanah was trying to talk to some of
these abusers at Pastor Ngobeh's counseling
center.
Ramata
Fofanah (VoY): What is your name?
Joseph:
My name is Joseph
Ramata
Fofanah (VoY): Why are you taking drugs?
Joseph:
I started taking drugs when one of my friends
who is an addict offered me some to taste. I
tried it and since then, I became addicted.
Ramata
Fofanah (VoY): What will make you to
stop taking drugs?
Joseph:
I don't think there is anything in this
world that will stop me. I am OK.
^to top^
Salifu
Koroma (VoY): Those were drug users at
Pastor Ngobes's Counseling center. It is now
time for our usual Message Corner, which is
a skit.
Voice
1: Singing
Voice
2: Please Abdul, my child, I am begging
you to stop taking drugs.
Voice
1: Mama you don't know anything, this
thing that I am taking helps me in my college.
Voice
3: Please don't fight here.
Voice
1: I think I should be going I don't
want to quarrel with anyone.
Voice
4: Abdul, I thought you weren't coming.
Today I have all the stock and in fact a brand
new one called Ramsey.
Voice
1: Wonderful! Please take this fifty
thousand leones, I will give you the remaining
tomorrow.
Voice
5: Abdul what are you taking, drugs?
You will destroy yourself physically as well
as mentally.
Voice
1: That's none of your business, I am
not in a church or mosque.
Police
Woman: Hey! Come here, what is that?
Voice
4: Nothing Officer.
Policewoman:
So you are selling illegal drugs, not so? I
will take you to the station.
^to
top^
Voice 4: Please officer, they are not
mine….
Voice
1: Laughing (gone mad)
Voice
2: Abdul, why are you undressing? Mama!
Mama! Please come and see what Abdul is doing.
Mother:
My son, I warned you not to take drugs, now
you see what you have done to yourself? What
were you taking, brown brown, cocaine or marijuana,
talk to me? Which one of them? Oh! My God….
my son has gone mad….
Message:
Young people, this is a special message to you,
drug abuse is very bad among youths. Please
try all you can, not to be influenced by friends.
Plan for a brighter future.
This message is coming to you from Voice of
Youth at No. 41 Main Motor Road, Congo Cross.
Salifu
Koroma (VoY): That was a short skit demonstrating
the effects of drug abuse. With that, we say
goodbye on today's edition of Youth Corner,
which came to you from Voice of Youth Radio
and the station you are listening to. For any
suggestions or contributions, please visit us
at No. 41 Main Motor Road, Congo Cross, or call
us on 234030. On behalf of my producer Ramata
Fofanah and my engineer Alarini Bah, I have
been your presenter Salifu Koroma.
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