A group photograph of reformed youths and management of YRIDO at the organization’s graudands inauguration event in Port Harcourt.
From Blessing Ibunge, Port Harcourt
Some repentant drug addicts, cultists and others involved in neferious activities have narrated how a Non Governmental Organisations, “Youth Rescue International Development Organization (YRIDO)” has positively transformed their lives and reintegrated them back to the society.
The Faith Based Organization (FBO) at the weekend in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had an inauguration of graduands from its Port Harcourt and Jos, Plateau Outreach Training Centers.
The graduands after an intensive 6-month training on morality and living an examplarily life of Christ Jesus were commissioned to go into the society and change lives of those living in a similar nefarious lifestyle.
Some of the graduands who spoke with The AUTHORITY at the event, narrated how YRIDO saved them from destruction, praying God to sustain their new life.
Dedan Yusuf Korot, a native of Taraba state but resident in Port Harcourt, narrating his ordeal, said he was a drug addict despite his training as a medical personnel.
He explained that his family had almost given up on him as he was sacked from his place of work because he was indulged in drug abused but today he is a renewed person, thanking the group for reinstating his life.
Korot narrated “I am a medical personnel working in a hospital and I specialised on surgery. Sometimes before I will enter theatre I will take too much alchohol and it got to a certain time that I was sacked from the medical facility because there was a day I set a patient on a theatre table, I was about to carryout a survey because I was drunk I could not concentrate and on lifting the knife to cut, I feel down and almost passed out. So, the surgery was cancelled.
“The next day I was called and cautioned on my bad drunkard habit, instead of me to seek God’s help and good counsel, I feel into the captivity of the devil. I could not think of my course project titled ‘The major causes of drug abuse’, I feel captive to drugs.
“In my family we are five in number. I am the first born and only male child of my parent. My family was ready to sponsor my education to any level but devil succeeded in killing my conscience.
“Now, I will say I have this great testimony of saying before I was a drug addict but now God through Jesus Christ has delivered me. When I started this programme I was wondering how I was going to sleep because before I could not sleep without taking drugs.
“To the glory of God, I don’t think and I don’t have it in mind to go back to my old life. Comparing the former to the present life, I find so much joy in this present life”.
Also, Dogo Jessy, who participated in the YRIDO programme from Jos, said the programme has changed his life.
He said: “Once upon a time in my life I was addicted to patrol, I sniff patrol and what they call Solution and sukudile seriously that I could not leave it. My parent were wondering if I was going to give up the habit because at that time if you know me you will hardly believe I will survive but here I am today.
“But when I came to Youth Rescue my life turned around. I could not imagine that I will speak boldly to the public but here I am addressing the crowd. Like I said my parent did not believe but I thank God”.
Mr Hassan Usman Korot, uncle to Dedan also praised God for his nephew’s life. He noted that the family had given up after several efforts to return their son back to normal lifestyle but thank God that today he is a changed man and can now move ahead with responsible life.
“In my family we trusted in Dedan and ready to train him to any level of education. But a time came when we started seeing changes in him. At first he was doing well in medical practice and was well paid by his employer but at another time he started changing and indulged in drug addict.
“We thank God since my nephew came to this organization he has changed for good. I thank God for the graduation today and will continue praying that their reformation should be permanent”.
However, inaugurating the graduands, the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of YRIDO, Mr Nature Dumale Kieghe tasked them to be exemplary in their conduct, while striving to bring people to Christ.
Kieghe who said he was into cultism, drug abuse, crime and other social vices before Christ arrested him in 2003, thanked God for his mercies towards mankind.
According to him, the primary duty of his organization is to rescue young people from captivity through evangelism and prayers, which he has been doing for the past ten years.
“I was into cultism, drugs and crime before I repented in 2003 and was commissioned by God to rescue young ones from captivity and destruction.
For the past ten years I have been involved in the business of rescueing people from social vices,” Kieghe said.
He appealed to parents who are having turbulent times in training their children involved in cultism, drug abuse and crimes to bring them to YRIDO.
Asked how they source the trainees, the Executive Director of YRIDO, said through media sensitization,volunteering and recommendation by the public . He emphasized that the training is free.
Throwing more light on the twelve graduands, Kieghe said they were addicted to drugs, cultism and crimes before they came to YRIDO, noting that their lives have been transformed after the training. He thanked God for His grace.
“You should continue with God who is the author and finisher of your faith by studying his word and preaching his gospel,” Kieghe charged the graduands.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer of YRIDO had on behalf of the Board Of Trustees ( BOTs), Volunteers and Staff of YRIDO welcomed the guests, pointing out that the twelve graduating students having passed through the rigorous 6-month training were qualified to be commissioned.
He quoted Acts.20:27-32 from the Bible to buttress his points. He emphasized the fact that no certificate would be issued to the graduands, but their character should speak for them.
In his remarks during the programme, Bro Temple Ko identified cultism and drug abuse as two major problems affecting the society today. He said unfortunately Satan has hijacked these vices to undue the people. He said the negative effect of this on the society are insanity, diseases and death.
