HAMZAT, JAJI ADVOCATE GOOD PARENTING

The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat has called on parents to wage war against the menace of drugs and substance abuse in Nigeria in order to guarantee the future of their children. 

He spoke yesterday while commissioning the Federation of Muslim Women Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) Counselling Centre at Makoko, Ebute-Metta in Lagos. 

Hamzat noted that “every society is determined by the micro family but it is evident that the family unit has broken down judging by the activities of the youths in the country, especially on drug abuse and other social vices. Unlike during my days, mothers now work several hours leaving their children’s upbringing to nannies and schools”. 

While warning students to desist from engaging in vices such as intake of hard drugs and armed robbery, Hamzat emphasised that the habit usually taints the reasoning of individuals and deters them from realising their potentials in life. 

Earlier, the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Mrs. Folashade Jaji commended the FOMWAN (Lagos State Chapter) for taking the bold step in addressing the issue of drugs as well as substance abuse in Nigeria and for establishing the Counselling Centre in Lagos, noting that the Centre would help in educating students on the dangers of drug abuse and its health implications. 

Jaji disclosed that recent statistics from theNigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), showed that Lagos State has the highest consumers of illicit drugs but gave an assurance that the State Government had commenced measures to address the problem.

The National President of FOMWAN, Hajiya Halima Jubril, revealed that 14 million Nigerian men are hooked on drugs while over 40% of the youths were into drug and substance abuse, charging governments at all levels to tackle the menace before it gets beyond control. 

Also speaking at the occasion, the Chairman, Lagos FOMWAN Board of Trustees and former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Lateefa Okunnu said FOMWAN represented Nigerian mothers, hence the need to cry out on the dangersinherent in the misuse of drugs by people,especially the younger generation whom we all refer to as future leaders.

The event was rounded-off with discussions and lectures by the representatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Ministries of Health; Youth and Social Development; Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation; as well as the Head of Department, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Mr. Mohamed Jinadu.