A non-governmental organisation, Straight Out of Navy Town, has organised an awareness programme for students and parents on the dangers of drug abuse.
The General Coordinator of SONT, Mr Ayodeji Ogunyemi, said the sensitisation had become imperative because of the rising rate of substance abuse in society.
Ogunyemi spoke at the SONT Well-being and Substance Abuse Programme held at the Multi-purpose Sports Complex, Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos State, on Saturday.
He said the programme was deliberately organised during the Easter holiday to enable both students and parents, who were likely to be at home, to attend.
“We looked at the problem of substance abuse in society and how the future is being gambled away by involvement in drug abuse.
“The society has been seriously ravaged by substance abuse, and young, productive minds are drifting away because of this bad habit they have picked up.
“We hope that with Christ’s resurrection this Easter, a new leaf of life will be turned in the hearts of the people we are speaking to,” Ogunyemi said.
He said the programme was held in Navy Town because SONT is made up of people who grew up in the community.
The coordinator explained that the idea for SONT started in 2016 out of the desire to come together like an old boys’ association and give back to the community where they spent their childhood.
He added that the group became fully operational in 2023 and has since expanded to six chapters across states, including Abuja, Benin, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
In the spirit of the Easter season, Ogunyemi said the group visited schools, churches and the mosque in Navy Town as part of efforts to promote positive change.
“Earlier, we visited Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo, Naval Officers’ Wives Association Secondary School and Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, all in Navy Town.
“We also visited St Andrew’s Protestant Church and the Central Mosque, and held a rally in the barracks to create the awareness we are passionate about.
“Our target is to ensure that we reach everyone, wherever they are,” he said.
Ogunyemi urged parents to remain vigilant and closely monitor their children to ensure they are not influenced by peer pressure.
“Parents should not shy away from this issue because society will negatively impact their children if they fail in their responsibilities.
“Some parents tend to avoid talking about it, even when they know their children are involved, because they fear the stigma.
“We encourage parents to keep addressing the issue and continue enlightening their children because, without this, these children may stray,” he said.
Ogunyemi added that the association would engage the Parents-Teachers Association of schools within the barracks as a follow-up measure to deepen the campaign.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of SheSparks Empowerment Initiative, Ms Blessing Clark, said her foundation partnered with SONT to extend the anti-substance abuse campaign to the girl-child.
“As part of our mission, we reach out to girls and empower them to become better leaders of tomorrow so they can contribute their quota to nation-building.
“However, if they deviate from their dreams by indulging in drug abuse, it will ruin the plans they have for their future. That is why we decided to support this programme because of the vulnerability of the girl-child in society,” she said.
Clark disclosed that the initiative would later in the year organise a scholarship, empowerment and skills acquisition programme for girls to mark the International Day of the Girl Child.
A Clinical Psychologist at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Mrs Chineye Onuoha, said the programme was one of the ways of catching children young and discouraging them from substance abuse.
She also warned parents against allowing their children to attend every social event, noting that experimenting with drugs often starts in such settings.
Some students at the event said they had learned important lessons. Esther Smart, a JSS 1 student of Navy Town Junior Secondary School, said she learned to avoid bad company and resist peer pressure, while Grace Efemena said she learned the dangers of exceeding prescribed medication dosages. She added that she would share the message with friends and family.
(NAN)
