By Olanrewaju Adesanya
The lawmaker representing Ikeja II constituency at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Ademola Kasunmu has called on all parents to play their role effectively in the proper nurturing of their wards, as the youths remain the arm of the society that can sustain Nigeria’s existence.
Kasunmu made the impression while giving his keynote address at the 7th annual constituency stakeholders meeting, held simultaneously across the 40 constituencies of Lagos State.
Speaking to the theme of the parley, ‘Increasing Wave of Drug Abuse: A threat To Nation Building’, Kasunmu raised concern on the prevalence of black spots across the constituency, while he urged all parents to tackle the issue frontally from the home front.
“Black spots are springing up everywhere at a frightening rate in our main streets and inner communities across Ikeja and Ojodu”.Nigeria’s progress can only be better protected through the youths.
He indicated what he will do personally to check the ugly trend in his constituency, which includes youthful engagements and empowerment to help shift the focus of the youths from substance and drug abuse.
“I will do series of engagement targeted at addressing these problems, I will also facilitate vocational training and empowerment for the youths to help shift their focus.
Regarding Ipodo a spot within Ikeja which has suddenly become a drug and substance abuse spot, Kasunmu notes that the area needs restructuring to make it inhabitabitable for miscreants.
“It is a problem of leadership and delineation,we will just have to sit down with the leadership and restrategize on ways to make the community look better get more developed.
“I had already done some anti- drug campaigns in various schools within the constituency, before now and it is a battle that we must continue to fight because the interest in narcotic and substance abuse is now getting stronger than it used to be.
“Tackling it is not just limited to school authorities but also to the government and the parents, they have to do more to make sure that our students get to do more things with their time and get occupied by making sure that they commit themselves to the development of capacity.
“To enhance their further growth and contribute to nation building as a whole.
“It is a situation that all hands must be on deck, to ensure that our educational institutions are equipped with the capacity to further develop strategies, to end this menace called drug abuse.
“It is sickening, we are losing lives, we are losing bright promising future leaders to narcotic and drugs abuse.
“We have a lot of them infiltrating our primary schools, what is this nation turning into?
He maintained that this is the time to act, time to go back to the drawing to fix things.
One of the participants at the parley,Comrade Temitope Majekodunmi of Ikeja Indigene Progressives, a community based group raise concern on Ipodo market being taken over by youths engaging in drug and substance abuse.
Speaking earlier Mr. Adekunle Dally-Adeokun Chairman Caretaker Committee APC Ikeja, noted that the parents are failing in their parental role and something drastic must be done to salvage the situation.
Primary school children taking to drug shows the parental role is failing. Why are we having 1m boys? In the past husband and wife will live in a room and they still control their children. Mothers have much to do here, let’s go back to the drawing board,there is no absolute human right.
“We must protect our own, we must as a nation continue to do that, there is no better time than now.
Constituents from all areas of the constituency were also asked to make written suggestions of what other development they desire from government in Ikeja.
The parley is basically to help the government plan its fiscal document to cater for people’s needs.