From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
The Executive Director of the Enemona Josh Humanitarian Foundation, Mr. Williams Illah has cautioned students of tertiary institutions against the use of illicit drugs and other substances capable of destroying their future.
Mr. Illah stated this in his paper presentation titled “Illicit use of substances and drug abuse,” presented during the Education Outreach Programme organized by the organization for matriculating students of Kogi State College of Education Ankpa.
He pointed out that the President and founder of the Foundation, Ambassador Gabriel Onoja is worried over the decay in the society as a result of ritual killings, cultism, drugs abuse and other unethical conducts that are prevalent in the society as well as educational institutions.
He noted that Onoja’s concern necessitated his social intervention programmes in schools to educate Nigerian youths on the dangers of social vices and how to distance themselves to better their future.
The Executive Director attributed the major causes of drug abuse in the society to peer groups, lack of parental care, influence from parents that are into drugs, failure of the mass media to create educating contents, exposure of drugs to youths and lack of monitoring by the regulatory agencies.
Illah who noted that the effect of illicit substances most often led to students having psychologically and emotionally problems which affects their studies, however, called on parents, government and regulatory agencies to be proactive in eradicating the incessant use of illicit drugs in tertiary institutions.
“Illicit use of drugs also lead to stress, fatigue, anxiety, emotional disability” It is largely responsible for bullying, students beating up lecturers, suicide, rape and killing of fellow human beings,” he said.
In his speech, the Provost of the College, Dr. Muhammed Kabir Ibrahim described the sensitisation embarked upon by the Foundation on the effect of illicit drugs as a welcome development, assuring that the institution would sustain the partnership already created by the organisation.
“Apparently government alone cannot provide all the needs of any tertiary institution and we have been searching for a robust and sincere partnership, and Enemona Josh Humanitarian Foundation has proved to us that they are capable of partnering with us to move the citadel of learning higher” he said
