INSECURITY: Lagos Lawmaker Canvasses Youth-Friendly Laws To Curb Social Vices

Worried with the spate of insecurity in the country, government at all levels have been advised to wake up to its  responsibilities of securing lives and properties of the citizenry.

 

To this end, the Lagos State House of Assembly has affirmed it was considering some bills that were youth-oriented to curb the threat of kidnapping, gang formations, cultism, armed robbery, rape and other social vices in the state.

 

These include a bill to provide for the establishment of the University of Education, Lagos and for connected purpose which seems to provide courses of instruction, training and other related studies as may be prescribed towards the award of degrees and certificates.

 

Again, a bill aimed at establishing the Lagos State University of Science and Technology, to make provisions for its powers, functions and general administration and for connected purposes.

 

The bill is seeking to address the inadequacies in the polytechnic educational system with a view to fulfilling their dreams as having revealed the continuous drop in the enrolment of students into polytechnic due to the seeming inferior perception of polytechnic graduates.

 

Speaking,the Lagos State House of Assembly member representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency 2, Hon. Jude Chwukwuemeka Idimogu  disclosed this during the Lagos State House of Assembly 7th Annual Constituency Stakeholder’s Meeting with the theme: “Increasing Wave of Drug Abuse”: A Threat to Nation Building, noted that while the passage of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps was aimed at ensuring the safety of all in the communities, the prevalence of drug abuse amongst adults and youths, if not effectively addressed would endanger the entire efforts of the house in the establishment of a safe, peaceful and livable society.

 

Meanwhile, the lawmaker called on all stakeholders, residents, parents, teachers, students, school proprietors, religious organisations, celebrities, social media influencers, professional bodies, the academia, civil society organisations, community leaders, and individuals to work in concert with the government for the common good of the society.

 

Idimogu observed the use and abuse of drugs was fast becoming prevalent amongst adults and especially the youths.

 

According to him, drug abuse has been identified to have diverse and devastating effects on the safety and progress of the society.

 

“Apart from its negative social effects such as violent crimes, disruption of the family, child abuse and neglect, as well as unemployment, the law maker said it had been associated with some other criminal behaviours such as gang formations, cultism, armed robbery, rape and other social disturbances.

 

“Experts  say there are also the economic and health effects attributed to social vices such as loss of job, dropping out of school, stealing and complicated health issues such as persistent nausea, and changes in appetite and weight loss, liver damage, seizures, stroke, mental confusion, memory loss and brain damage, and lung disease.

 

The lawmaker added all these had far-reaching consequences on both government spending and public safety.

 

Idimogu noted that banditry, insecurity, kidnapping, and other criminal activities all had their root in the use of hard substances adding that “Until we face the menace squarely, the problem of insecurity will continue to remain with us.

 

While the use of drugs is observed among all age groups in Nigeria, Idimogu said overall past-year use of most drug types was high among young people within the age brackets of 25 and 39years.

 

He pointed out that:“At this juncture, its highly instructive to note that the true measure of any progressive society, state, or nation is not merely by its success in the provision of social and infrastructural facilities or its economic achievements, but by the “average achievement in the key dimensions of human development, a long and healthy life, being acknowledgeable and having a decent standard of living.

 

“So, it must be understood that when we talk about nation building, it is not merely about the establishment of beautiful structures and recreational facilities but the process of engaging all residents, especially the youth in the development of the nation by ensuring the safety and sanity of all, by nurturing, building and protecting the younger generation who would not destroy but protect our legacy and lead us to the next generation”

 

Idimogu assured that the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Leadership and Members of the House have always taken matters affecting residents and especially the youths very passionately.

 

“Even as they will continue to be proactive in the consideration of viable laws and policies that would enhance youth potential as attested to by some laws passed recently “Law to amend the Lagos State Sports Commission Law 2015, to promote Youths and Sports Development in Lagos State and for Connected Purposes”.

 

He insisted the law would ensure that youths were provided with great opportunities not only in the area of recreation but where they could nurture, explore and utilize their potential in sporting activities to become professional sports men and women.

 

He believed this would also take the minds of many of the young people off drug abuse and criminal activities.

 

In her presentation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Deputy Commandant Narcotics, of Lagos State Command, Adeosun Fumiloola Modupe stated that drug abuse is a threat globally and has plagued the public health, national stability, peace, security and economic development thereby making the task of national building difficult to accomplish.

 

She frowned at the situation where reasonable number of people aged 15-64 use at least one psycho active substance excluding alcohol and tobacco.

 

“The challenges or effect posted by drug abuse has created onerous task for the health workers, teacher, parents/guardian’s, managers, security personnel and so on.

 

“Government is also at the receiving end because of the effect of this menace which has direct negative effects on nation building thereby causing setback in almost all the sectors.

 

Modupe said drug abuse has resulted to health challenges and loss of human capital among other consequences.

 

She therefore called on government to invest in drug abuse research and take more effective measures to prevent drug abuse.

 

Creation of more employment, allocation of fund to drug related agencies, more attention on enforcement thereby strengthening activities of security operatives.

 

She further made case for effective surveillance of Nigerian borders and encouragement of health practices and lifestyle among adolescents.

 

While welcoming the guests the Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Chairman, Adebayo Olasoju who expressed shock, reiterated that the rate of drug abuse was so alarming, as its prevalent on people between the ages of 14 and 21 .

 

He urged the society especially the youths to desist from it since according to him, anything that had a tag as “Do not do it” has no advantage at all and should be resisted at all cost.

 

During the interactive session, a Guidance and Counselling teacher Mrs Ngozi Okpala called on the government to evolve good working scheme for them in schools to properly reorientate the students.

 

She emphatically stated that its no longer secret that students are into drugs, even as most of them deal on it.

 

 

She said,  “Hon Idimogu sir, I speak on behalf of counsellors in Lagos schools. They should be given time to practice fully, to be able to know and identify all those traces, we will look out for them wherever they are and speak reasons to them.

 

“Please on our behalf , help us to put it forward, that teachers are very few, counsellors are over stretched, they are burdened with much work to do beyond their statutory duties,” she said