The Ogun State Government has admonished youths in the State to shun the deadly abuse of drugs and cultism.
The Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Education, Mrs Ronke Soyombo issued the appeal at the Ikenne Youth Summit themed, “Advocacy on the 21st Century Menace that Affects the Youth in Our Soicety”, saying that among other means to curb the prevalent drug abuse, the State government has put in place strategies to rehabilitate drug addicts as “bad child shouldn’t be thrown out”.
Mrs Ronke Soyombo commended the organizers on the Youth Summit, saying “it’s evident that a lot of youths are trying to ensure that youths in the State remain focused and saying no to drugs, cultism and other social vices”.
She outlined the State Government’s effort inclusive of collaborating with NDLEA, asking schools to make students and parents sign letters of undertaken against the use of drugs in school.
“If we caught any students in the use of drug, we will take action immediately and every Principal and Headteacher knows already how to deal with the situation”.
Mrs Soyombo however noted that the Government has puts in place strategies to rehabilitate children who have gone into drugs, as bad child shouldn’t be thrown out, adding that such was the reason the State Government resolved to find a way to bring them back them into the society through rehabilitation.
Earlier, the Deputy Superintendent of Narcotics, Mrs Funmilayo Bamisaye, in her speech condemned vehemently the issue of drug abuse among Nigerian youths, saying the rate of abusing the substance have been in the high increase in recent times, imploring the youths to abstain from it as it causes damage to their lives.
A physician from Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital, Dr Amusan, cautioned the youth populace against unwanted pregnancies on the theme
“Teenage and Unwanted Pregnancy”.
The trio of the former Head of Operations ICS Ltd, Lagos who also is the Converner, Ikenne Reforms Group, Mrs Dayo Eyiowuawi, a Senior Lecturer at Lambton College, Canada, Professor Musediq Abdul and a US Army officer, Mr Ola Owokoya advised the teeming youths to see hard drugs and cultism as destroyer of lives, thus urged them to stay away from such social vices.
In his welcome address, the Ikenne Youth President, Comrade Oluwasegun Okusanya defined cultism as a menace that must be eradicated among youths as it possess a significant threat to society which can take them nowhere than to destroy their future.
Okusanya expressed his appreciation to the event’s Convener, Mr Olugbenga Ogundipe who initiated the need for the Association to have a dialogue section with the general youth of Ikenne to educate and enlighten youths on potential life destroyers; cultism, illicit drugs, premarital sex, examination malpractices, thuggery, hooliganism, indecent dressing and other unhealthy lifestyles.
As well, the spokesperson of the Association, Comrade Abayomi Adeleye urged all youths to join hands with Ikenne Youth Association in the fight against drug abuse and cultism.