An officer of the United States Army, Captain Sunday Adebomi, has organised an essay competition to help secondary school pupils in Ekiti State fight drug abuse.
Adebomi, who hails from Ise-Ekiti, headquarters of Ise/Orun Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was concerned that many youths are hooked on drugs.
He bankrolled the initiative in conjunction with Youth Saving Lifestyle Creation Initiative (YSLCI), a non-governmental organisation, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to create awareness on the evils of drug abuse.
Forty-one pupils were short listed after undergoing series of tests in their schools to participate in the final competition.
All 41 wrote an essay titled: “Drug Abuse, Cultism and Youth Violence in Secondary Schools in Nigeria” in the presence of the audience at the Sheikh Ibiyemi Hall of Olaoluwa Muslim Grammar School, Ado -Ekiti.
The essays were graded and results were announced immediately, producing three female winners who would represent Ekiti in the southwest zonal competition. Deborah Ekunloluwa of Comprehensive High School, Ado-Ekiti, came first with 80.5 percent; Kolawole Kehinde of Ijaloke High School, Emure-Ekiti came second with 77.5 percent and Fabunmi from Okemesi High School, Okemesi-Ekiti came third with 77 percent.
Adebomi, while presenting laptop prizes to the trio, congratulated them for their outstanding performance.
He promised to pay the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fee of the overall winner. The top 10 students also got certificates and notebooks.
Ekiti State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Sulaiman Jadi, hailed Adebomi for the gesture which he said would go a long way in discouraging drug abuse among pupils.
The programme was chaired by the Onikun of Ikun-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of the state, Oba David Olatunde.
Tag: drug
-
Army officer fights drug abuse in schools
-
NAFDAC seizes N40m drug
Operatives of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have sealed some pharmacies and other business outlets in Osogbo and Ilesa in Osun State after confiscating N40million worth of fake, unregistered drugs and other regulated products.
Some of the pharmacies closed in Osogbo include Akol Pharmaceutical Limited near Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital and Raphabalm Pharmacy at Alekuwodo.
The agency also sealed Topawo Feeds Services at Alekuwodo and Atlab Farm Products at Okinni, Osogbo for selling unregistered animal feeds.
The Managing Director was arrested and transferred to Lagos.
The operatives also raided the popular Orisunbare market where some shops were sealed for selling unwholesome products.
At Ilesa, Akewusola Chemist and Supermarket was also sealed and drugs and other regulated products worth over N5 million were confiscated.
Also sealed was a pure water factory, Royal Step Nigeria Limited, for refusing to renew its registration licence since 2007.
-
Drug suspect re-arrested after breaking through glass wall
A drug suspect, Michael Nwobodo Alli, 31, was on Monday re-arrested after breaking through a glass wall in an attempt to escape at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja.
He was found in possession of eighty-one (81) pellets of hard drugs packed in a clean Parker Whisky carton along with boxes of chocolates in a duty free bag. The arrest took place during screening of passengers on an Emirates airline flight from Dubai.
As soon as the drug was detected, the suspect took to his heels breaking through a glass wall, but was pursued by narcotic officers and apprehended with the help of security officials at the airport. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect resides in Dubai where he works as a technician.
NDLEA commander at the Abuja airport, Mr. Hamisu Lawan said that the suspect sustained minor injuries in the process.
“During routine screening of passengers, the suspect Michael Nwobodo was found with drugs. He immediately started running and broke through a glass wall in an attempt to escape justice. Our officers ran after him and caught him with the help of other security officials at the airport. It is amazing that he could break through a glass wall but fortunately, he sustained minor injuries and had been treated” Hamisu stated.
The suspect who hails from Enugu state told investigators that he ran away because he was afraid of arrest. “I live and work in Dubai. I came to Nigeria for my father’s burial but decided to bring the drugs because I needed money. When the drug was discovered, I ran because I was afraid of arrest. I am ashamed of myself and do not know how to face my friends and relatives”.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah thanked the officers and members of the airport community for their efforts that led to his re-arrest.
“I am pleased with this arrest. I thank the officers and members of the airport community for their support. We are prepared to track down drug traffickers and scuttle the activities of drug trafficking organizations” Abdallah stated.
The suspect will soon be charged to court.
-
Police transfer suspected drug peddlers to NDLEA
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, Lagos, Mr Bala Hassan has transferred two suspects found with cannabis to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The suspects were arrested with 863 compressed parcels of dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis weighing 781.5 kilogrammes believed to have been smuggled from Ghana by sea at Badagry.
They were received by the Seme command of the Agency on behalf of the NDLEA.
NDLEA commander at Seme Border Command, Mr Udotong Essien while receiving the suspects and exhibits, pledged to carry out further investigation.
The commander gave the names of the suspects as Ismaila Aliyu, 26, a transporter and Edwin Igbokwe, 39, a labourer at Badagry jetty.
Items recovered from them include: one speed boat powered by Yamaha engine; three Honda motorcycles and N480,000 believed to be proceeds from drug business.
Aliyu said he imported the cannabis from Ghana for the end-of-year sales.
He said: “Most dealers now prefer imported cannabis from Ghana. This consignment was targeted at the end-of-year sales. As a transporter, I make more money from cannabis importation.
“The cannabis would have been distributed to dealers in Lagos if not that we were arrested. I have two wives and four children and I take care of them from the money I make from cannabis sales.”
Igbokwe said his role was to carry the drugs from the boat to a vehicle that will convey them from the riverside to town.
-
Place of drug in sport and academics
According to legends, experts said for years that the human body was simply not capable of a four-minute mile. They stated that it wasn’t just dangerous but impossible. Further legends hold that people had tried for a thousand years to break the barrier. In the 1940’s, the mile record was pushed to four minutes and one second. It stood there for nine years. Athletes struggled to break this feat but they couldn’t. But on May 6, 1954 Roger Bannister broke the history of running a mile in three minutes and 59 seconds. Barely a year after someone else ran a mile under four minutes. Then some more runners did. Now, it’s almost a routine. This they all did without the aid of drugs.
Drugs are poisons. Little wonder, one of the founders of medical practice, Paracelsus, quipped, “all substances are poisons, and there is none which is not a poison.” Sports, on the other hand, is frequently used to occupy our pastime. But this does not rule out the fact that many now take it as a profession; creating an imperative for constant improvement. But should drugs be used for improving performance in sports? From the story in the first paragraph, we saw how humans overcame their limits. For years, they lived in the penitentiary of their own imagination. But the ‘impossible’ was done without the aid of any chemical stimulant. Hence it is not justifiable whatsoever to use drugs with the aim of improving performance in sports or academics. I align myself with this fact due to the following reasons.
Firstly, the beauty of hard work will be lost if drugs are allowed. This beauty was observed in one of the illustrations above. It was evident that only extra effort separated the champions from the crowd. Hence Bannister earned his recognition. Through Bannister’s effort we now know that nothing is impossible. It is the lazy minds who usually want quick and cheap intervention that often resort to drugs. And because the lustre of fame and shine of glory are hard to resist, many professional athletes find themselves tempted to use drugs to enhance their performances in a bid to outdo others. The same goes for students who use drugs. And since academics and professional sports are all about celebrating human capability, this unfair advantage provided by performance enhancing drugs rigs the game and defeats the very purpose for which it was invented.
Secondly, there would be an uncontrolled incidence of abuse. This is true because every athlete would be involved in self-medication. Hence, there would be indiscriminate increase in dose just to get higher performance. Many would take the drugs for nonchalant reasons. Just as sleep postponing substances are abused so they would abuse these enhancers if allowed in sports and academics.
Thirdly, the side effects of these performance enhancing drugs could be catastrophic. It may lead to loss of basic natural ability of the users. A drug taken to improve one’s ability could lead to a downside effect with a decrease below the initial threshold of efficiency. That is, the body of the recipient refuses to function properly except in the presence of such enhancer. This phenomenon is called dependence. Therefore, more and more drugs would be taken to overcome the progressive emasculation of the user’s natural abilities. This condition would lead to a further accumulation of toxic wastes; which then degenerates to a pathological state.
I would not accept any performance enhancer, whether for sports or for academics. It betrays nature. It defeats the purpose of human existence. It immitates reality and creates room for momentous abuse. With drugs in sports and academics, there would be no winner or loser. There will be no commitment, no purpose, no aim, and no reward. This is because, an athlete could win by just swallowing a pill, and a student could do excellently by ingesting a drug.
Imagine a world without commitment. Imagine a world without zeal and hard work, where everyone lives in the shallow caverns of complacency. Before we know it, idleness would replace training sessions and our libraries would be covered in dust. This is not the kind of world we hope for. Rather, we want a place where everyone is entitled to his title; where a student burns the midnight candle to pass examination, where he can beat his chest without second guessing his ability. A world, just like Bannister’s, where athletes would break and make new world records, through hard work, to excite generations yet unborn.
Even if our performances were limited by nature yet we could get past those limitations by natural means by being committed, consistent and disciplined. No wonder the French scientist Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck crooned in his law of Use and Disuse, that “the parts of an organism’s body that are frequently used become more developed.” Hence with frequent routine, man could be what he wants. Instead of taking pills, athletes and students could decide to raise their performance thresholds naturally by rigorous routines of training and study. This would not only avoid all the downsides of drug use but also result in legitimate pride in the resulting performance.
In conclusion, one of the Holy books tells a story about the first human. According to the story, he was deceived to eat the forbidden fruit he had been pre-informed not to touch. But as soon as he ate the fruit everything turned awry for him. He was in pain. He was driven out of the beautiful garden he was placed in. These performance enhancing drugs could be viewed as a forbidden fruit. We may think those drugs could replace hard work but in the end, just like the forbidden fruit, we may not like the consequences that follow.
- Ezekiel, 500-Level Pharmacy, UNIBEN
-
Jega to pharmacists: Check drug abuse
Former Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Prof Atahiru Jega has urged the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria (PCN), Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAP) and other key players to check counterfeiting and how ‘prescription’ drugs were being sold over the counter.
According to him, people, especially youths, buy drugs over-the-counter, which should not be.
Jega, who was conferred with the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAP) Lifetime Achievement Award at the Investiture/Award Dinner of NAP in Lagos, said the practice was destroying Nigerians, especially the youths because the drugs are addictive.
He said: “Any youth can just walk into any patent medicine store or pharmacy to buy as many bottles of these drugs as they wish without restraint.”
“Many youths as a result of easy access are now addicted to the drugs”, he added.
He continued: “This has consequences as it has created many problems in many parts of the country, especially where I come from.
“So, I believe having been given the award, that has given me the opportunity to urge leading Nigerian pharmacists to begin to pay attention to ethical issues associated with selling prescription drugs over-the-counter because the damage this is doing to our youths, really, is going to be phenomenon. It needs to be addressed appropriately.
“I hope my suggestions will find receptive ideas. But, it is not just the pharmacists alone, the society needs to start addressing this issue by regulation,”he said.
He urged the country to take a cue from other countries that have a functional policy to guard against purchase of prescription drugs over-the-counter.
“In every country, walk across the borders, they are very serious about what is sold as prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs.
“In our country, regrettably, we are very complacent on this process. And that is why as my contribution I have drawn attention to this phenomenon and the need to urgently do something to tackle it,” Jega said.
He said Nigeria needed progress in many fundamental areas of the health sector.
“If you look at the statistics, whether it is infant or maternal mortality, our incidences are very high and we need to do something serious and I hope that we would be able to get a very good minister of health, who can pay a lot of attention to address some of these challenges and to generally re-position the health sector so that Nigeria can become a leading country in terms of health provisions,”he said.
According to him, it was shameful that most Nigerians travel abroad for ailments that could easily be treated in the country.
The Federal Government, Jega said, has the responsibility of creating a legal/policy framework and enabling environment to ensure that those challenges are adequately addressed.
On Jega’s conferrement, former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon said the award was well deserved.
Advising NAP on counterfeiting, he said although the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has done well over the years to rid the country of fake drugs, more needed to be done by professionals in the sector.
On why fake drugs litter the markets, Gowon, who was the special guest of honour, charged NAP to join hands with other agencies of government to ensure that drug counterfeiting is checked.
“We can achieve that if we all join hands,” he said.
-
Majek Fashek relives drug ordeal
How can the Federal Government be of help to the mentally challenged? It is by funding researches in mental health and supporting the treatment and rehabilitation of the mentally challenged, says popular musician Majek Fashek.
Fashek said he got help to overcome drug addiction through a psychiatrist, Dr Vincent Udenze, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Synapse Services.
At the 46th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) main auditorim, Fashek said he was treated outside the country.
While abroad, he said, there were no mentally-challenged persons roaming the streets, adding: “The difference is clear. The government of that country took the mental wellness of its citizens seriously.”
He went on: “It has been found out that geniuses often fall ill, especially with mental illness. Government should not abandon its citizens in that situation. The good way is to also fund mental health research and treatment.”
Some psychiatrists, spoke in the same vein, saying those mentally challenged can be professionally managed, rehabilitated and integrated into the society.
The theme of the AGM/Conference was: “Mental Health as a driver of positive change”.
Sub themes were: “Mental Health challenges of internally displaced persons, Mental Health and political transitions in Africa, and the Impact of MHGAP in primary mental health: the journey so far.”
Keynote speaker Prof Ayo Ibidapo-Obe called for reevaluation of the country’s system, “starting with the process of election.” He added: “It is mind boggling why people loot treasury or even carry out corrupt practices, which leave no one better, including the perpetrator. I will suggest there is a law in place to examine the mental health of each potential candidate vying for any political position in the country.”
APN President Prof Joseph Adeyemi said his colleagues were ready to manage the consequences of any change as they unfold in the country.
“Government policies, legislations, priorities and practices determine quality of life of citizens. Whether positive or negative, the nature of governance will have consequences for the emotional well being of the populace based on their vulnerabilities and predispositions. Evidence based best practice solutions will be proffered to guide citizens, relevant professionals, interest groups and governments by our panel of experts to manage the consequences of change as they unfold,” he said.
Acting Medical Director, Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr Richard Adebayo, said though there are professional psychiatrists in the country, “unfortunately, we don’t have a workable and realistic policy direction, no mental health bill to guide us and protect the rights of our patients.”
“It is imperative to deliberate on the vital issues that will promote the very change we desire and enlighten our policy makers that mental health is very crucial in our collective drive towards the positive change,”he said.
-
The evil of drug abuse
The University of Benin (UNIBEN) chapter of Anti-Drug Misuse and Abuse Programme (ADAMP) has sensitised youths of Uselu community in Benin City on the effects of drug abuse and alcohol. EZEKIEL EFEOBHOKHAN (500-Level Pharmacy) reports.
The action was informed by their concern to save the vulnerable – the innocent young ones and the addicted elders. This was the aim of members of the Anti-Drug Misuse and Abuse Programme (ADAMP), who held a two-day campaign against mental illness.
Members of the group are Pharmacy students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) who are concerned about the increasing rate of drug and alcohol abuse in Uselu, a community close to the Ugbowo campus of the school.
At a campaign held at AB Academic Centre to sensitise the children of the community, a teenager among the participants explained how his father usually abused him with alcohol. He said he would be given a half-filled cup of alcohol each time his father bought alcoholic drinks.
“If you say alcohol can cause mental illness, do I stop drinking and buying alcohol for my Dad?” the pupil asked.
Answering the question, ADMAP chairman, Isaac Ehimen, said young children are obliged to obey their parents but should resist being abused with alcohol. He said regular intake of alcohol could lead to addiction, stressing that the substance could lead to dysfunctional Central Nervous System (CNS) in young alcoholic drinkers.
Isaac told the teenagers: “You can run any errand for your parents, but never accept alcohol from them if they offer you, because it destroys.”
The Pharmacy students took their anti-drug campaign to Uselu Secondary School, where they spoke with a large number of pupils. Speaking, Austin Aigbagenode, an ADMAP member, described a child’s brain as tabula rasa, saying any habit picked by children at tender age would be difficult to drop as they grow up.
He advised the pupils not to engage in taking harmful substances, such as marijuana, Indian hemp and alcohols, saying the abuse of the substances could lead to mental illnesses and other embarrassing effects. “Don’t allow any friend to tempt you into trying any substance for the first time. They may persuade you by telling all sort of stories, but never believe them as a lot of the cases of mental illnesses are currently caused by addiction to some of these substances,” he advised.
The group took the campaign to other schools, with the aim to reach out to thousands of children in the community. At each event held, the session was usually ended with questions and answer. Gifts were also given to student, who participated in the discussion excellently.
While addressing the pupils of Eagles College, president of Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Student (PANS), Benjamin Idiakhoa, encouraged them to only become addicted with their books and resist peer pressure to engage in act that could derail them from fulfilling their goals and future.
Benjamin said the reason why many people suffer was not because of poverty, but because of bad companies and wrong choices. “You must be the first beneficiary of your success. Be serious with your studies, because it can take you anywhere in the world. Drinking alcohol and smoking harmful substances cannot lead you anywhere,” he said.
Ehidiamen Olobor, another member of the group, said the objective of the campaign could be realised since teenagers were the target of the campaign.
Praising the Pharmacy students, the proprietor of Eagles College, Phillip Imonlega said he was highly pleased with the campaign strategy and gave optimism that the encounter with the pupils would make positive impact. He told the pupils: “These people who spoke to you today were once like you, if they had indulged in smoking and taking alcohol, they would not have been here today. Look at their way of life and try to be like them.”
Maxwell Esebanmhen, a member of the group, hailed PANS and its president for supporting the campaign.
-
Pharmacists Council seals 160 drug dispensing premises in Akwa Ibom
The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) has sealed 160 drug dispensing premises in Akwa Ibom State. These comprise five pharmacies and 155 patent medicine shops.
They were sealed for offences ranging from dispensing poisons without the supervision of a pharmacist, poor storage conditions, selling medicines above the approved list for patent medicine vendors and non-registration of premises with PCN, among others.
Three other premises were issued compliance directives for poor documentation and untidy environment, the Council stated.
Addressing reporters at the Southsouth Zonal Headquarters of PCN in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, the Deputy Director and Head of Enforcement, Stephen Esumobi, said the Council which is a Federal Government parastatal charged with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy was in the state to enforce its core mandates.
Giving a breakdown of their activities, Esumobi said: “Our enforcement teams have been in Akwa Ibom State since the beginning of this week. The teams were in the state capital and also visited 17 out of the 31 Local Government Areas which include Uruan, Itu, Abak, Oruk Anam, Mkpat Enin, Ikot Abasi, Etim Ekpo, Onna, Etinan, Eket, Esit Eket, Nsit Ibom, Nsit Ubium, Ikot Ekpene, Ibiono Ibom and Ikono”.
He noted that while the level of compliance by premises in the state capital is encouraging, the situation in most of the local government areas visited were not. He said PCN observed that many premises began operations without following laid-down guidelines.
While many of the premises are located in environments that are not conducive for the sale of drugs, some others failed to meet minimum requirements for storage and personnel, thus, exposing members of the public to dangers of consuming medicines whose quality, safety and efficacy cannot be guaranteed, Esumobi noted.
According to him, another category of offenders are those who failed to renew their premises certificates with PCN. ‘Annual renewal of premises certificate is mandatory and it is to ensure that registered premises continue to maintain or improve on the standards that made them qualified for licensure’, he warned.
He said the exercise was not punitive but to ensure practitioners operate according laid down guidelines, to preserve the lives of medicine consumers. Those premises sealed will be unsealed once the operators comply and rectify observed irregularities, he assured.
He said the rule for those wishing to establish a pharmacy or patent medicine shop is to apply for location approval. When the location is approved the premises applies for facility inspection to ensure that the structure and personnel are adequate.
He urged stakeholders to follow the laws warning that PCN will not tolerate the sale of medicines without submission to regulatory control.
For members of the public who wish to operate patent medicine shops or pharmacies, the PCN Director advises them to visit the PCN state or zonal offices for proper guidance.
-
NDLEA arrests drug baron with cocaine
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a suspected drug baron, Chief Odugwe Joseph Azubuike over unlawful importation of 1.025kg of cocaine.
Odugwe who is currently on bail over several drug charges brought against him by the agency was allegedly found with wraps of powdery substances that tested positive for cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
The arrest was made during inward screening of passengers on Emirates airline flight from Dubai.
The wraps of cocaine were packed in duty free polythene inside his luggage.
The suspected drug kingpin told investigators during interrogation that he had made a big mistake.Chief Odugwe had pleaded not guilty to previous charges when drugs were not found on him alleging that his enemies were behind his trial.
NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Ahmadu Garba described Chief Azubuike’s arrest as a sign of what to expect in the future.
“I am happy with this high profile arrest. It is a good way to start and sign of better days ahead. The suspect travelled to Dubai on 6th September and was arrested on 10th September on arrival at the Lagos airport,” Garba explained.
He promised to make the airport difficult for drug traffickers.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said Azubuike’s arrest is rewarding for the country’s fight against drugs. In his words, “the game is up for the suspect who has been charged to court for sponsoring several drug couriers.”