Mr Umoru Ambrose, Kwara State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Monday called for the establishment of drug clubs in tertiary institutions.
Ambrose made the call during a visit to the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem.
According to him, establishing clubs would go a long way in discouraging the use of hard drugs on campuses and improve the mental health of students on campuses.
He noted that the agency would be glad to collaborate with the university in empowering the drug club with relevant information and communication to function effectively.
“Since students influence one another in taking hard drugs, they will be in the best position to discourage themselves from something capable of destroying their lives,’’ he said.
The agency commander said that the date should be set aside for the formal inauguration of the drug club to create awareness among the university community.
He added that Kwara has the highest drug use prevalence in the North Central zone and that the agency was equipped with a centre for counseling and rehabilitation of addicts.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem cautioned students against the use of hard drugs, noting that it destroys lives and society.
Abdulkareem thanked the commander for showing interest in students and staff welfare while promising to work closely with the drug agency to eradicate it.
The vice-chancellor said that he does one-on-one counseling with students struggling with drug use, adding that the university has a vibrant counseling Centre.
He lamented that drug use and the available options have become very sophisticated hence, the need for stakeholders to synergize effort to combat the spread.
Abdulkareem gave assurance to the NDLEA boss that the institution was ready to collaborate with the agency to ensure drug-free campus and drug-free Kwara. (NAN)
