Alumni campaigns against addiction among students

By Damilola Kushimo

In an effort to curtail the growing menace of cultism and drug addiction among secondary school
students, the Alumni Association of International Visitor Leadership Program have sensitized
students across 10 Public Senior Secondary schools across Isolo LCDA.

The program which was held at Ansar-Ud-Deen Comprehensive Senior High School, Okota
recently, featured nine other Senior Public schools from the council as well as a medical expert,
officer of Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), University lecturer and other
stakeholders who sensitized the students on the dangers of of drug addiction and crime.

 member of the association, Mrs. Adetoun Tade, made it known that the program is one of the
numerous ways the U.S sustains diplomatic relationships with other countries.

She said that the sensitization program was made compulsory, this time around, by the
alarming rate at which students of public schools are being negatively influenced into going into
drug addiction and criminality in the society.

According to her, We decided to do drugs and crime sensitization this time around because we
have this mentorship programme we do with schools every term. We mentor students in public
senior secondary school students within Lagos.

This has opened us to what is going on in our secondary schools. They are supposed to be children but this menace of drugs is within them and taking wings everyday in our secondary schools. You will see this cultism fight, we opened the bags of some of the students, during mentorship program, there was no single book but there were cutlasses, knives and charms.You have students selling drugs to other students as customers. When we pressed further we realised that some of them take it from home, some via influence from elderly people that they look up to and respect. People who are supposed to be their role models are leading them into this and they take it in because they believe it to be the best.

She advocated the need to separate those involved from the general students and teach self-
confidence and decision making skills so that they can see the importance of taking their own
decisions and understand decision-making process.

“ What it takes, how to do it, the likely consequences, so that even as a child they can be on
their own." She said.

The students were thoroughly sensitized about the consequences of drug abuse and their
involvement in criminality in the society as well as the pitiful consequences of keeping bad
company and their involvement in unlawful sexual activities.

In addition, a playlet was acted to further solidify their understanding of the negative effects of
drug abuse and criminal acts.

Commending the efforts of the alumni association, Comrade Abdul-Ganiyu Salaudeen, the
school counsello, stressed that, the sensitization came at the right time for the students as the
expected parental care and guidance from the elderly ones in the community are missing from
their lives and exposing them to bad habits.

According to him,  Sensitization like this is quite essential in complementing our efforts, as
teachers and counsellors towards preparing the students for the future. Majority of them don't
have adequate parental care and we can imagine what that signals. No doubt, drug and
criminality is on the increase amongst secondary school students across the country. This
advocacy will go along way in curbing the menace.

In his address, the leader of the Legislative Arm of the Isolo LCDA,Hon. Remy Shittu Remy,
who facilitated the the programme said it was meant to nurture the youths as leaders of
tomorrow.

A crime free community is possible if all stakeholders play their part and consolidate on
previous sensitisation for these promising students who are no doubt the future leaders."
Other schools in attendance include Okota Senior Grammar School, Okota Senior Secondary
School, Okota Senior High School, Ijeshatedo Senior Grammar School, Eko Junior Grammar
School, Matori Senior Grammar School, Metropolitan Senior College, Ilamoye Junior High
School and Ire-Akari Junior College.