One of the lawmakers in the Lagos State House of Assembly has pleaded for proactive efforts to be taken in fighting drug abuse in Nigeria.
Sanni Okanlawon warned that if this trend is not urgently addressed it would cause adverse effect on the socio-economy progress of the country.
Okanlawon who is representing Kosofe Constituency 1 made the call during the 7th Annual Constituency Stakeholders’ meeting which held simultaneously in the 40 Constituencies of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday.
The theme of the stakeholders’ meeting was , “Increasing Wave of Drug Abuse: A Threat to nation Building”.
Okanlawon reiterated efforts of the Lagos State House of Assembly to control the menace of the substance abuse with viable legislations.
Several laws and resolutions have been initiated by the House to prevent the drug abuse among youths and make them more meaningful to the society.
“The House has continued to be proactive in the consideration of viable laws and policies that would enhance youth potentials and development. Some of the recent laws that were passed attest to government effort on this matter such as the “Law to Amend the Lagos State Sports Commission Law 2015 to promote Youth and Sports in Lagos State and for Connected Purposes,” he stated.
Okanlawon promised that there were some bills ahead in the House expected to better the life of the youth.
He said; “Some of the bills under consideration which are youth oriented include; “A Bill For a Law to Provide for the Establishment of the University of Education, Lagos and for Connected Purpose.” It seeks to provide courses of instruction, training and other related studies as may be described towards the award of degrees and certificates, while the other is aimed at establishing the Lagos State University of Science and Technology, to make provisions for Its Powers, Function and General Administration and for Connected Purposes.”
In his welcome address, the Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kosofe Local Government Area, Mr. Kehinde Bello, believed that the theme of the stakeholders’ meeting was timely, to deliberate solutions to the cause and effect of drug abuse which is consuming the teeming generation.
Bello, stated that this year stakeholders’ meeting would be of good lessons to the stakeholders.
A chieftain in All Progressives Congress (APC), member of Governing Advising Council (GAC), Lagos State, Olumuyiwa Sosanya urged the related stakeholders to pay active attention to children and youths in this time of increased rate of drug abuse in Nigeria.
Sosanya made the calls to condemn the effects of drug addiction and abuse of substances, as many lives are being lost on daily basis due to this ugly menace.
He said that ”the grave effect continues to destroy socio-economy of the country.
“ There are parents and guardians that refuse to pay proper attention to attitude of their wards, such as drug addicted children. If parents believed they could not handle such children, they may seek for assistance of neighbours who could assist them to control the wards. The children believe that taking the hard drugs would make them active to be more courageous. But the effect of this is very risky to the society. As a result, I will advise parents and guardians to be in control of their wards, to check this menace of drug abuse in the country.”
A Guest Speaker at the occasion, Mrs. Ngozi Okocha, an officer from National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in her lecture, warned that the trend of the drug abuse should be timely addressed as the effect is becoming a threat to the society.
According to her, there is a sharp rise in drug abuse among youths.
With the background theme, “Illicit Drug Use and Abuse has been on the Increase, thereby posing a Threat to Nation Building”, the Speaker said that the problem needed proactive solution before it consumes the teeming generation, and thereby posing threat to the nation’s building.
She said ”the trend is worrisome as a number of Nigerian youths are engaging in illicit drug and drug abuse.
“Over 4.3 million people in Nigeria use different kind of drugs in the year 2020. Current projection suggests that there will be 11% rise in the number of people who use drug globally by 2030. There is going to be an increase if nothing is done about this issue. And there will be 40% increase in Africa due to this rapidly growing and young population.”
Mrs. Okocha described the issue to be too problematic to the socio-economy as facilities are overwhelmed with drug related criminals. She stated that facilities such as prisons and courts are overwhelmed with too many drug related cases. And this is seriously posing threat to security and health.
She advised that community should be of assistance to drug victims, as provisions are made by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for rehabilitation of such victims.
Another Guest Speaker, Dr. Fatima Binta Amodu, a medical expert from Redeemers University defined drug abuse as the drugs that are meant to help health but abusively used by people. And this reversely poses threat to health.
She, therefore urged people to adhere to medical description of drugs while consuming them.
“Even when ordinary drugs, such as paracetamol, cough syrups are abusively consumed, it is hazardous to human’s health. For instance if pregnant women wrongly used paracetamol, it could make the child in the womb imbecile. So, there are many ways of abusing drug aside from consuming hard drugs,” she stated.
Dr. Basirat Giwa, a medical expert who also spoke on the theme, blamed the menace on the family, community and government.
She emphasised on the role of mother in the family, to always take good care and be more watchful over their wards, especially male children starting from the age of 10.
Dr Giwa urged stakeholders to imbibe the culture of monitoring wrong attitudes of children in the community; to be a brother’s keeper in checkmating the drug abuse among the youth. Also, she urged government to create more sport centres and use them effectively to be able to engage more youths.
Participants at the event commended the achievements of the lawmaker and the House of Assembly generally and called on them to do more in infrastructure and other needs to better the lives of the people.
Some of the achievements noted include; rehabilitation of Otunba Oladele Brookville in Ogudu, Olabisi Streets, Ilaje Street, Oworonshoki road and Kujore Street in Ojodu. Others are rehablitiation of Muslim High College in Oworonshoki, Ojota Senior High School and St Francis High School with construction of new 18 classrooms in each.
Okanlawon said he had created a table tennis academy and provided 5 boreholes across communities of the constituency, and supported widows and traders with micro supports funds.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
