By Eric Elezuo
An anti-drug abuse advocate and Founder/President, Silec Initiatives, Amb. Sunny Irakpo, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency, declare a National Day of Sensitisation Against Drug Abuse in the country to help curb the incidences of drug related offences prevalent in the society.
The anti-drug advocate made this assertion while delivering a paper as a keynote speaker to the standing Committee Meeting of the Anglican Communion on “The Monster of Drug Addiction; A Battle for our Future.”
In the six-page paper, the advocate frontally attacked the monster of drug abuse, profering solutions for a well ordered society, while meticulously revealing the various drugs experimentation and how drugs are destroying promising Nigerian youths who ordinarily are the future and greatest assets of the country
The event was organised by the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), which has over the years, contributed on issues of national importance, and continued to play her role in national development.
The Standing Committee Meeting of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the highest decision making organ of the church, and is currently under the leadership of the Metropolitan Archbishop and Primate of all Nigeria Anglican Communion, The Most Revd. Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba.
Leveraging on available statistics, Irakpo stated that according to a United Nations Office on Drug Control (UNODC) report of 2018, youths between the age bracket of 19-39 years are the worse users, but to say the gospel truth based on our over a decade experience in community/grassroots sensitization campaign, we have discovered and seen boys of 5, 9, 12, 15 and 18years smoking cannabis and abusing all forms of substances to get “high”.

“Statistically, 8 out of 10 male youths are drug abusers, 1 out of four 4 females is a drug abuser. It is also reported by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that 3 out of 10 youths that are abusing drugs experience brain damage,” he said.
The SILEC founder pointed that according to a report from the Psychiatrists Association of Nigeria as at 2018, which made a shocking revelation that 85% of insane individuals (mad people) in Nigeria are youths between the age brackets of (18-38 years) as a result of drug abuse, and that Nigeria is the highest marijuana smoking country in the world with 19.4% of our population involved in consuming marijuana as reported by ThisDay Newspaper on May 24th, 2019. It states that 20.8 million Nigerians are marijuana smokers, with an estimated value of $15.3billion spent yearly. He mentioned drugs that are being abused in various primary schools as well. He was consummated with deep emotions as he critically gave his presentation on the ills and moral decadence in the society today. He is pained by the 1 out of 5 senior secondary school students that smokes cannabis, which is fuelling cultism and radicalism in our institutions of learning nowadays and the fatal damages of colorado, a poly drug currently wrecking havoc amongst the youths in the country were all contained in his presentation.

While thanking the Primate for the honour to speaking on the subject, Irakpo reiterated the fact that drug scourge is a global problem and that Nigeria is badly affected by it.
He agreed that the “challenge starring at us in the face is the excessive consumption/abuse of these legal drugs which are certified safe for human consumption by government agencies like NAFDAC, and other internationally recognized agencies.
Also speaking at the event, which was themed ‘’ABIDING IN CHRIST – GOD’S PANACEA IN AN UNSTABLE WORLD‘’, and drawing inferences fro with the Bible book of John 15 vs. 1-8, Primate Ndukuba admonished on the benefits of abiding in Christ and the consequences of the contrary.
He also commended the Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) led NDLEA and Irakpo for their efforts in the fight against drug abuse.
Ndukuba’s giant stride as leader of the Communion is seen in the Centenary City Project, a multi-billion naira mega project of unimaginable magnitude, located on a 1,500 hectares of land behind the PAN Africa University Ibeju-Lekki at Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos state. He is also credited with the establishment of Lagoon Radio and online TV.
The event was attended by prominent leaders in the Anglican communion including The Most Revd Dr Foley Beach, Primate of Anglican Church North America (ACNA) and Chairman (GAFCON), Bishops, Archbishops, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
Also present were Governors Dapo Abiodun and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ogun and Ondo states respectively and Lagos State Commissioner for Health.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of Exemplary Leadership Qualities Awards to the state governors.