Education Ministry to Partner With NDLEA to Reduce Drugs Abuse in Schools »

By Musa Solomon

Kogi State Commissioner for Education Hon. Wemi Jones, FCIB has assured the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of the Ministry’s partnership and collaboration towards the reduction of Drugs Abuse in Schools across the State.

The Commissioner gave the assurance when the Kogi State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Mr. Umar Mustapha Yahuza and the Management team visited him in the office in Lokoja.

Hon. Jones who described the level of Drugs Abuse amongst teenagers as alarming said that whatever it would take to reduce the menace of Drugs Abuse in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the State, the Ministry should be counted as Partner.

According to him , the state has invested so much in Education and the Ministry would not allowed the investment made in Education to go to waste by refusing to address the problems of Drugs Abuse in Schools in the State.

He noted that the prevalence of Drugs Abuse especially amongst female folks is worrisome, saying that the country is seating on a time bomb that required all hands to be on deck in order to reduce it.

The state Government He said do not pay lip service to Education and would do everything possible to deal with whatever that would hampered the growth of education in the State.

Speaking, the State Commander National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Mr. Umar Mustapha Yahuza thanked the State Governor Alhaji. Ahmed Usman Ododo for prioritizing the needs of His people, saying that the Governor has given assurance to the Agency of His preparedness in Establishing a Multi Dimensional Drugs Rehabilitation and Skills Acquisition Center in the State for the Rehabilitation and reintegration of Drugs Abuse patients into the society.

To take proactive measures to reduce Drugs Abuse in the State, He noted that the Agency has liaised with both Public and Private schools, saying that the Agency has gone across the three Senatorial districts, visiting schools, churches, mosques, traditional and religious leaders to sensitize and enlightened people within the Catchment ages on the danger of Drugs Abuse.

He said that one of the best and potent ways to fight crime is by enlightening people about the danger in committing the crime and called on the Ministry to Partner With the Agency to come up with a robust program of action to go to schools to sensitize and enlightened people on the danger of Drugs Abuse and also to Educate, rehabilitate and reintegrate those already affected to the society.

The Agency He said would introduced Drugs Integrity Test to families and institutions to help in curbing the menace of Drugs Abuse in the society.

High point of the visit was the decoration of the Hon. Commissioner as War Against Drugs Abuse Ambassador.