Guardian

Gerald Obinna Ugwoke is the Founder and Managing Partner of the Hurricane of Success Foundation, a Non Governmental Organisation that has been at the forefront of the fight against drug abuse and youth empowerment, east of the Niger. A psychologist by training, he also wrote a didactic book on overcoming drug and substance abuse, which was launched yesterday, Dec. 28. He spoke to EBERE AMEH on the myriads of problems facing the youth, what his foundation is doing to arrest the situation and sundry national issues affecting youths.

WHAT inspired you to write your new book and how far do you think it will go in addressing the problems it sets out to solve?

THE book, Breaking the Shackles of Drug Abuse, is written to address the drug abuse problem in our country. I was inspired to write the book as a result of the escalating rise in the abuse of drugs and other substances including alcohol.

My experiences during our practical studies seven years ago as a student at the Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Enugu, actually inspired me to write this book. There I saw handsome, able-bodied people at the verge of destruction because of substance abuse. I was particularly touched by the youths in their productive years that were there, rotting away and causing untold heartache to their parents and loved ones.

I wrote the book to help those in their recovery phase, struggling with withdrawal syndrome and also those either abusing drugs already or contemplating doing so; so they could desist from the destructive act.

The book dwells on drugs of abuse, their effect on the brain, how to avoid them and the possible ways to come out in case one is caught in their web. Many people do not know that even alcohol is a drug that can be abused, which can be both addictive and destructive. The book is simplified to enable all and sundry understand it.

Does the book contain any new strategy in the fight against drug abuse?

Yes, it does contain both new and effective strategies of fighting and overcoming drug abuse. I believe strongly that what people need more than anything is knowledge and the knowledge of the truth is the first step in their road to freedom. Knowledge brings awareness; it brings freedom. God was not mistaken when He said, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” That is what the book, with its edifying examples, is set to do.

Presently, we are also designing a campaign to take the fight against drug abuse to the secondary schools, using the Hurricane of Success Foundation. We have always concentrated on the tertiary schools where the effect is visible but we have decided to catch them young, because most addicts actually start at that early age. We want to sensitise the students using vivid examples, on the disadvantages of drug abuse.

In such campaigns, the self-esteem of the student is worked on since that is one of the major facilitators of drug abuse. Most students due to low self-esteem just can’t say no to peer pressure and we always try to make them know that it is okay to be different. We usually work with former addicts who are now doing well or relations of drug addicts who come to talk to these children. It always makes more impact when you hear from the horse’s mouth.

What informed the formation of the Hurricane of Success Foundation?

Hurricane of Success Foundation (HUSFO), is a non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation established with the aim of helping in human development training, youth empowerment, aggressive fight against drug abuse, which is eating deep into our society despite all that the government is doing to reduce it; HIV/AIDS awareness among others, through sensitisation programmes.

As the name depicts, we work like a strong wind in our sensitisation strategies. Just like the hurricane, we at HUFSO have resolved to sweep away those things that hamper the abilities of the youth such as low self esteem, inferiority complex, stage fright, drug abuse, uncontrolled sexual behavior and the like.

What successes have you recorded?

We have been able to organise several seminars and conferences since the inception of the foundation in 2009. Worthy of mention is the foundation’s secondary school Young Champion’s Conference that is still ongoing. We have so far conducted the seminar in about five secondary schools in Enugu State and the feedback and the impact has been both encouraging and unprecedented.

We also have ‘Living Your Designed Life’, a monthly seminar; ‘Strong and Purposeful Conference’ (for men) and our annual ‘Youth Empowerment Seminar’, which its third anniversary coincided with the book launch on December 28, 2012.

Our resolve is to train and to produce leaders who are agents of change in our society.

You seem so passionate about this cause. Were you a victim; do you have a relative who was victim?

By the grace of God, I was never a victim. I say the grace of God because some victims are in it today due to no fault of theirs. Some grew up with the wrong set of people and thought it was okay to be ‘high’; some became victims due to peer pressure; others as an escapist mechanism to lull the effects of the economic downturn. I could have been caught in the web, had God not been on my side.

On the other hand, I can say that I am a victim of unemployment, another major challenge facing the youths and leading them to so many things just to make ends meet. However, as an ardent believer in the words of former American President, J.F. Kennedy that we should  “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” I decided to go into entrepreneurship, instead of waiting forever for a white collar job. Through my foundation, I am now helping my country to refocus the mindset of the youths on their abilities. If Aliko Dangote, or Bill Gates who are my role models had worked in an office, nobody would have known them today. Besides, they wouldn’t have been as rich, touching lives the way they do today.

We want the youths to discover their abilities, believe in it and work with it. We want them to make a lemonade out of every lemon life throws at them instead of wallowing in drugs and crime.

Do you think it is unemployment that is leading the youths to drug, cultism and other social ills?

Youths don’t believe in themselves any longer and they do not believe in our leaders either. That is why parents have a lot of work to do. They have to work harder to instill self-confidence, trust and discipline in their children because the family is the first place the child learns and socialises.

Bitter life experiences can also lead to these social ills. What is more bitter than a man struggling to go to school to better his lot only to come out and be faced with hunger due to unemployment? It makes some contemplate suicide while others resort to drugs, leading to lawlessness and other social ills.

Nigeria is trying but the pace is so slow. So, much still need to be done and that is why I call on NGO’s and people of goodwill to pull their strengths together and fight this fight because it’s affecting everybody both the rich and the poor. We shouldn’t leave it for the government alone.

As a youth leader, how would you advise the government on the issue of unemployment?

The case of unemployment has reached an alarming stage in our country. Though the government said they are doing their best, to be frank with you, we are yet to see it.  Their effort will not yield any positive result unless they first of all fight corruption to a standstill.

The issue of poor electricity supply is another impediment in whatever they are doing to reduce unemployment. When there is electricity, the environment will be conducive for investment and youths would be encouraged to invest in the private sector.  The rich and foreign investors will also be encouraged to invest in Nigeria, thus employing more people.

What can be done to make youths see the reality on ground and embrace farming and entrepreneurship instead of waiting for white-collar jobs?

They have seen the reality already but there are so many impediments. The environment is not very favourable for investment, corruption is high, there is no electricity, and most importantly, accessing loans for investment is very difficult for youths because they have no collateral.

What’s your take on youth restiveness, militancy and terrorism, especially Boko Haram?

Youth restiveness is as a result of accumulated bitterness and acrimony. We have lost confidence in our leaders and the youths are taking the laws into their hands.  Government should work extra hard to restore the lost trust.

There is so much poverty in the land and all the agencies saddled with the responsibility of poverty eradication have failed us. Until poverty is reduced, the poor may continue to do anything to put food on their tables. When you come face to face with real poverty, you will agree that there is actually nothing to live for.

The fight is a collective responsibility; as the government rises to the occasion, let the youth be encouraged to know that violence does not help anybody. It bounces back on us invariably.

Where do think your foundation would be in the next 10 years?

The next 10 years, I have a vision that the Hurricane of Success Foundation will be at the forefront in youth empowerment in Nigeria, and will boast producing leaders in both the national and international arena.

Then our network would have been all over the country, fund would be no issue and we must have done our best in sending as many brilliant but indigent students to school. Then we must have done a lot for the Nigerian youths.