NPP Harps On Parents, Community Engagement To Tackle Cultism, Drug Abuse

The Nigeria Policing Programme (NPP) has called for the adoption of parents and community members engagement as a holistic approach to tackle the rising menace of cultism and drug abuse in the country.
The organisation said engaging families and the grassroots are pertinent, as it would yield a positive outcome in the reduction of criminal activities and other negative impact posed by cultism and drug abuse among young person in the society.
Speaking at a community sensitisation workshop held at Isolo Local Government Secretariat, the State Intervention Lead, NPP, Tosin Osasona said engaging and influencing critical stakeholders at the local level, which include parents and custodians of children should be the primary objective of government and corporate bodies seeking to address this menace.
He said parents have an important role to play in influencing the environment their children operate in as well as shaping the attitude of their children in decision making, in spite of peer pressure.
“Engaging the community will make them more aware of the dangers in drug abuse and cultism, they will be aware of what those actions means in their various communities. A lot of them fall ignorant, but now they will be more aware of the impact of drug abuse and cultism in the community.,” he said.
Speaking on the importance of women in curbing the menace, a Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist at Beacon Health Advocacy Foundation, Olajumoke Koyejo said women are influencers in their homes and society, which is vital in helping the children make right decisions.
“Women are seen as pillars of their homes, so their impact is how they shape and influence attitudes and children. They have positive influence on children because education is critical so that children won’t get to school and be persuaded by their peers to engage in such evil act,” she stressed.
She said market women are also vital strategy in helping to curb this act, as these cult members and drug addicts operate in the open market, adding that the women will serve as social change if they receive appropriate education and awareness.
She said government should strengthen and implement policies that would prohibit persons under the age of 18 from accessing drugs.
Commending the programme, the Iyaloja General of Isolo Local Government Area, Eunice Oluranti, said initiating programmes at the grassroots level that is essential in reducing cultism and drug abuse, as perpetrators operate mostly in this area.
She said most of the people engaged in these acts are criminals who cause catastrophe in the communities, while she called on security agencies to step up and rescue the youths from the effect of this act.
Responding, the Assistant Superintendent of Police, Area D Command, Isolo Division, ASP Ogunbadejo Temitope who commended the initiative in the council, said it requires collective effort in ridding the society of cultism and drug abuse, adding that the police force would do everything within its power to bring these youths back to order.
“It is not everything that you report to the police, there are some things that need rehabilitation from health workers and when it gets out of hand – involving some kind of vandalisation or other physical expectations, you call the police, who come in to rescue,” he added.