First Lady of Lagos State, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has warned youths in the area against contravening laws through illicit drug use, admonishing them to desist from the act to enable a successful future.
Sanwo-Olu made the clarion during a held event in honour of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Trafficking, emphasizing on outright abstinence from the unlawful act as the only way to ensure freedom from it’s menace and the sanctions on erring individual as enshrined in the state’s laws.
During the forum with the theme “The world Drug Problem: Persisting issues, New Challenges , innovative Responses”, held at the Caleb University in Imota on Thursday, the first lady mentioned that the state government, under the leadership of Babajide Sanwo olu, remains committed through the inter-ministerial drug abuse control committee and other relevant agencies to scale up the prevention, rehabilitation and public education to put students on the right path of desisting from the dastardly act.
She went futher to say that she remain committed in patterning with the NDLEA, ministries of Education and Health , justice, youth and social Development to making sure that drug peddling is eradicated from the state as one of the ways to aid peaceful habitat for all and sundry.
In her message, the First Lady urged the students to be vigilant and make report of occurrence of the act, adding that keying to the directives would make the students become campaign ambassadors, discouraging substance abuse.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Olalekan Askihia, stated that Caleb university stands firm in its resolve to foster a drug free environment, promote mental wellness and equip the students with the resilience and knowledge to reject the temptations of illicit substances.
Askihia uttered that drug abuse threatens youth and the society at large, damages mental and physical health, academic performance and productivity, advising the students rather focus more on there academic excellence.
Furthermore, the VC said that the programme was carefully designed to educate and eradicate the uses of drugs stating that it would be used to encourage students to participate actively, ask questions and take home at least one actionable idea that can help build a safer, healthier Lagos and Nigeria at large.