World Culture Day: Don advises youths to abstain from drug abuse
Culture
By Taiye Baiyerohi and Olaitan Idris
Lagos, May 24, 2018 (NAN) Dr Kayode George, a lecturer from Caleb University, Ikorodu in Lagos State on Thursday advised youths to abstain from drug abuse so as not to truncate their future career.
George, who is a culture advocate, gave the advice during the commemoration of the World Culture Day at the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that May 21 of every year is the World Culture Day but NICO marked it on Thursday in Lagos.
The theme of this year’s edition is: “Culture: A Veritable Tool for Fighting the Menace of Drug Abuse and Terrorism’’.
The don said it had been observed that children and youths were rated high on the list of abusers of drugs like codeine, tramadol and other harmful substances.
He said that the consequences of drug abuse was enormous as individuals who indulged in it would later suffer from insanity, sudden death, unfulfilled goals, insomnia and truncated educational career.
According to him, most people indulged in it to boost confidence, excitement, energy, creativity, also as sexual enhancer but the effect is usually short lived and dangerous to health.
“Our culture does not give room for embracing drug abuse; please run from it, it will only truncate your career and render you irresponsible.
“Don’t allow isolation, depression and other psychological trauma weigh you down or tempt you to derail from your culture which dictates sound morals,’’ George said.
He urged parents to ensure they become their children’s best friend, such that they could confide in them whenever they are at a crossroad.
“Please as parents; lay good examples for your children. Listen to them and give them good counsel.
“If you must take alcohol, take it in moderation because these children are watching,’’ the don said.
Also, Mr Louis Eriomala, the Acting Executive Secretary, NICO, urged the Federal Government to provide constitutional roles for Nigerian traditional rulers in view of their importance in security matters.
Eriomala, who was represented by Mr Ibrahim Lawal, Head, NICO Lagos Institute, said traditional rulers were supposed to be part of the national intelligence architecture.
He said they should be saddled with the responsibility of gathering information from subjects and passing it onto the security services for collation, analysis and dissemination to the relevant decision makers.
“Traditional rulers can contribute to the security of their domains in particular and Nigeria at large by performing the intelligence collection function.
“Royal fathers can play clearly defined roles that will keep our communities and nation safe from terrorists,’’ the NICO boss said.
Earlier, Chief Olushina Olayinka, a community leader from Itori in Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun, said parents were divine custodians of their children, whose successes would depend on how they were handled.
“As parents, do not be too busy to attend to and monitor your children because they need to be guided in all their endeavours,’’ Olayinka said.
Also, Mr Abdulfatha Babatunde, a Deputy Editor-In-Chief (DEIC) with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), advised parents to always relate with their children in their mother tongue at home to promote their cultures.
He said language was a veritable tool for cultural development, adding that children would comprehend whatever they were taught in school better if the indigenous language should be used.
He said that the English language did not belong to Africans and Nigerians.
He advised parents to promote their indigenous cultures by speaking their local languages to their children. (NAN)
PTB/IOI/COF/PAD
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Edited by Oluyinka Fadare/Peter Dada