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The wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for playing host to a successful week of the 2023 edition of the United Nations Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which was rounded off at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Surulere, Lagos on Monday.
She pledged her continuous support for the quest to eradicate Drug use in the society.
Mrs. Sanwo-Olu made these remarks while speaking as the Special Guest of Honour to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) and other guests, at the grand finale of the World Drug Free Day programme, hosted by the NDLEA with the theme, “People First, Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention.”
“As we commemorate another international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, I commend the NDLEA and other partners for putting this together, and wish to assure you of my unrelenting determination to continue to support this worthy cause,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Represented by a retired Permanent Secretary and President, Medical Women Association, Lagos Chapter, Mrs. Ibironke Shodeinde, Mrs. Sanwo-Olu observed that “drugs don’t discriminate as anyone can be a victim anytime, any day”, calling on all hands to be on deck to checkmate substance use as well as reorientate, rehabilitate and reabsorb every victim into the society.
Speaking to parents and guardians, Sanwo-Olu, who admitted that most drug users and addicts are the young ones, advised parents to be more interested in what their wards do as that shows we are their friends.
“We must make it our business to sometimes intrude into their business by knowing who their friends are, where they go, how they relax, what they drink and so on and so forth.
By so doing, we would be their friend and earn their confidence. It is the way to go, to positively influence our children and reduce peer pressure on them,” Sanwo-Olu emphasized.
The first lady went further to admonish the general public against discriminating and stigmatizing the drug victims, stressing that it is the love shown to them that facilitate recovery and reintegration into the society.
“Our response to that child, that friend, that colleague, and that neighbour that is already captured by drugs should not be to discriminate or stigmatize them.
“We can win that victim by showing him true love and making them come to terms with the fact that he can actually be free from the shackles of drug abuse. It begins with you and me,” Sanwo-Olu stressed.
