The Delta State Government has called on parents and caregivers to embrace good and responsible parenting by closely monitoring the activities, relationships and social environment of their children and wards, saying effective parental supervision remains a critical antidote to criminality, substance abuse and other social vices.
Director-General of the Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications, Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, made the call on Wednesday at the Big Heart 92.1FM Radio in Asaba, stressing that the increasing exposure of young people to negative peer influence and illicit drug networks required a more deliberate partnership between parents, schools, communities, government and security agencies.
Oghenesivbe said credible reports from relevant authorities indicated that many working parents and caregivers, largely because of the demands of their occupations, pay inadequate attention to the company their children and wards keep, their movements and emerging behavioural patterns.
According to him, such lapses in parental supervision could expose young people to peer pressure, criminal networks, substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
He said the problem was particularly worrisome because the consequences of substance abuse extended beyond individual health, affecting educational performance, productivity, family stability and the overall economic potential of the state.
The Bureau Chief said recent reports by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had also indicated an increasing involvement of young female adults in illicit drug peddling and retail distribution in the state.
He attributed the development partly to the growing influence of the “get-rich-quick” syndrome, which, he said, was increasingly drawing young people into criminal enterprises and exposing them to the destructive consequences of illicit drug markets.
Oghenesivbe stressed that government alone could not win the battle against criminality, social vices and substance abuse, urging parents, caregivers, religious organisations, traditional institutions, schools and community leaders to assume greater responsibility for preventing young people from being recruited into criminal networks.
He particularly appealed to affluent parents and caregivers to avoid excessively indulging their children with large amounts of disposable money without appropriate supervision.
According to him, excessive financial gratification could make young people vulnerable to peer pressure and criminal influences, with some peer groups potentially encouraging them to spend such resources on psychoactive substances or acquire light weapons for criminal activities.
He urged parents to take early notice of unexplained changes in their children’s behaviour, friendship circles, spending habits, academic performance and social activities, stressing that early intervention could prevent experimentation with illicit substances from developing into dependency and substance-use disorders.
The Bureau disclosed that the state government may consider recommendations arising from the increasing rate of substance abuse among youths, including the possible introduction of compulsory drug testing for students seeking admission into tertiary institutions across the state.
It added that such measures could also be considered for persons selected, promoted or nominated for certain leadership positions, stressing that substance dependence or functioning under the influence of psychoactive drugs could negatively affect judgement, decision-making, discipline and productivity.
Oghenesivbe, however, stressed that prevention must remain at the centre of the state’s response, noting that the ultimate objective was to protect young people and preserve their potential for education, employment, entrepreneurship and productive contribution to the state’s economy.
He commended the state Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, for his commitment to building a Drug-Free Delta where children, youths and adults could develop their full potential and contribute meaningfully to economic growth and social development.
He disclosed that the first phase of the Drug-Free Delta Campaign, implemented in collaboration with the NDLEA, recorded significant success, particularly through the establishment of War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) Clubs in colleges visited by the agency.
According to him, the initiative would be sustained and expanded as the NDLEA and the Delta State Bureau for Orientation and Communications commence the second phase of the campaign on September 21.
He said the second phase would continue to deepen public awareness, particularly among students and young people, on the health, social, security and economic consequences of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
Oghenesivbe also commended officers and men of the NDLEA Delta State Command for their dedication to the arrest and prosecution of drug traffickers and peddlers, as well as their sustained interdiction operations across the state.
He disclosed that the command had seized illicit drugs worth more than N2 billion within the past 12 months across Delta State, describing the development as evidence of the agency’s determination to disrupt the supply and distribution networks responsible for fuelling substance abuse.
He, however, emphasised that enforcement alone could not eliminate the drug problem, noting that sustained parental supervision, prevention education, rehabilitation, community vigilance and responsible citizenship remained essential components of the Drug-Free Delta agenda.
He therefore urged parents and caregivers to see themselves as frontline partners in the campaign, stressing that the protection of children from substance abuse and criminal influences begins at home.
