Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
As the world marks 2023 International Day Against Drug Abuse, National Association of Seadogs, popularly known as Pyrates Confraternity, has warned parents and guardians to stop sending their wards to buy illicit drugs for them and desist from making them available for such errands in the neighbourhood.
Dr. Olumide Sorunmu, who gave this warning on behalf of the Abeokuta chapter (Ash Montana Deck) at Baptist Boys High School(BBHS), Abeokuta, Ogun State, as part of the activities marking the 2023 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, said children involved in such errands can’t be leaders of tomorrow.
He specifically called out parents, guardians and teachers abusing and sending children to buy drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroine, tramadol, Marijuana, among other illicit drugs to desist from such acts as the wards may begin to start taking those drugs too and that could affect them physically and psychologically as well as endanger their future.
Sorunmu explained that the reason the association decided to visit secondary schools like BBHS and Abeokuta Grammar School was to catch the students young and sensitize them against the menace of drug abuse, which could affect them mentally and academically and hinder them from fulfilling their dreams.
He used the occasion to also sensitize the members of the public that Pyrates Confraternity is a non governmental organisation and non- cultism group which is saddled with the responsibility of correcting ills in the society and one of such is advocating against drugs abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
He explained, “We are a non-cultism organisation and we are an advocacy group; what we do is to pick on some of the ills in the society that we can actually go after and make corrections. One of such ills in the society is the abuse of drugs. We have seen the menace drugs abuse is causing in the society of nowadays, particularly among the young ones, the relatively old.
“The reasons we decided to go to the secondary schools is because we want to catch them young to make them see reasons why drug abuse is wrong and that they should not even go near it. We did so because we know they are the future of the country. So, if we can catch them young at this age, we are trying to secure the future for the country because I don’t know what youth that abuse drugs have to offer the country.
“The illicit selling of drugs will expose the young one to drugs. You see a situation where parents or teachers in public and private schools are sending the young ones to buy them drugs. We are going to sensitise the elderly ones to stop such acts and we are going to sensitise the young ones too not to make themselves available for such errands.
“Parents should stop using the drugs and stop unnecessary or undue exposure of your wards or children to such and don’t make your children available to send them such errands to buy drugs because some people know it’s bad to use drugs but they will not send their own children, but only the children that are available in the neighbourhood.”
Speaking, the Principal Staff Officer Drug Demand Reduction Unit, NDLEA, Ogun State Command, Mrs Morakinyo Oluseyi, called on parents to cease sending their children to buy illicit drugs for them, saying their wards could imitate what their parents do (taking of hard drugs) and not what they say.
Oluseyi noted that NDLEA visited the two secondary schools to sensitize the students against drug abuse as part of activities marking the United Nations World International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, stressing that all hands must be on deck to fight the menace against youth in Nigeria.
She, however, warned that students should stay away from drug abuse and avoid friends indulging in illicit drugs use so that such friends won’t influenced them into taking drugs while advising them to take their education more important as that is the best legacy their parents could give them in life.
She said, “We are here to sensitize the children on the danger inherent in drugs abuse so that that will not initiate the false use of drugs. As we all over today we are celebrating United Nations world international day against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking and we want people to know that this is not to problem to Nigeria also is a problem to everybody there is no one that is exceptional in the fight against this menace so that it can be reduce or total eradication for it.
“Parents should desist from that behaviour because most children don’t do what we tell them. They watch the parents what they are doing and they tend to copy them. They do what we do and not what we say. What you don’t want your children to do, don’t do. We should be good examples; we should be good role models to them.
“They should stay away from friends because most people that take drugs, take it under the influence of friends. They should desist from friends, they should know the type of friends they move with. It is not everybody that should be their friends and they should take their education very seriously because that is the only legacy they can have.”
Earlier, the Principal, Abeokuta Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Mr Dare Shorinola, asked the students to go home and sensitize their parents, families and people in their neighbourhood as they had been taught in school about the danger of drug abuse.
“You have been sensitize you. You have been enlighten when you get home some of your parent that are using drugs talk to them especially those who are involved in hard drugs, drivers of vehicles are part of what we are talking about when. Tell people in your neighborhood, your uncle, your aunt friends that taking drugs is bad,” he said