The
Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),
Ahmadu Giade has tasked scholars to conduct research on local addictive plants
like Zakami found in some northern States in the country and other substances
found to be addictive in the country. According to Giade, substance abuse cuts
across all segments of society regardless of income, education, occupation,
social class, and age. Research and drug education will generate information that
will help people in making wise decisions.
Giade
made this known in a paper titled The Role of The NDLEA in the Development of
Education in Nigeria at the Defense & Security Week for Senior Executive
Course 37, National Institute For Policy & Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru,
Jos at the weekend. The NDLEA boss was represented by the commander at the
Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Mr Hamza Umar.
According
to Giade, “researchers should investigate and make available facts on the chemical
contents of local substances of abuse like Zakami. This can be extended to
other drugs. Drug control managers will find such researches important for both
legislation as well as planning drug abuse preventive campaign. Majority of drug
users falls within school age and education is one of the principal means of
preventing drug abuse”.
The
Agency in collaboration with the National Education Research and Development
Council (NERDC) developed curriculum on Drug Education for Nigeria schools. The
curriculum was approved and presented to the National Council on Education
(NCE) in 1997. In order not to increase the workload on pupils and students, drug
abuse education was infused in already existing relevant school subjects at the
primary, Junior and Senior Secondary levels and tertiary institutions.
Giade
added that “teaching drug education in schools is a suitable platform to
address the drug problem. Drug education is designed to sensitise students on
the dangers associated with drug abuse. It also provides factual information
and life skills required to resist drug abuse temptations. The objectives of
Drug Free Clubs include raising peer educators and counsellors who are trained
and used to reach out to their colleagues. The establishment of these clubs
helps the youths to serve as good models to others”.
The
Chairman observed that school children who use drugs often suffer impairment of
memory and other brain damage. Reduced cognitive efficiency leads to poor
academic performance and a resulting decrease in self-esteem. This affects
their sense of identity which, in turn, contributes to further drug
consumption, thus creating a vicious circle.
He
recommended that more funds be made available to the NDLEA and a ban be placed on
advertisement of alcohol and tobacco. The
Agency should work with school authorities to identify sources of drug supply
in schools. Parents on the other hand were urged to inculcate discipline in
their children to shun drug trafficking.
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