Against the backdrop of drugs and substance abuse becoming a recurring menace in secondary and tertiary educational institutions, civil society organizations in Rivers State have advised students to desist from such and instead join the fight to combat these in the society.

This advice was given at a One-Day Sensitization Workshop on Drug Abuse and Cultism held at Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt, organized by Kebetkache Leadership School in conjunction with Society for Women and Youth Affairs (SWAYA), PACE Expressions, and Kristina Reports, a Port Harcourt based virtual news medium, as part of their community development service.

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The consensus of opinion at the workshop was that while government at various levels and their affiliate agencies grapple with checkmating these anti-social vices, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) need to step in to contribute their quota to bolster the fight against cultism and drug abuse.

Various speakers at the event took turns to sensitize the girls on the negative implications of drug abuse and cultism on their mental growth and social perception.

Speaking at the workshop, a Management, Leadership, HSE and Communications Consultant, Ubong Inyang, who represented Kebetkache Leadership School, charged the students to believe in themselves and their ability to say no to these anti-social influences.

In her speech, Executive Director of PACE Expressions, Perfecta Eze-Puls enjoined the students to shun groups that are inimical to the attainment of their goals and vision, advising them to rather belong to associations that will spur their latent God-given abilities to maturity.

Also speaking, a representative of the Society for Women and Youth Affairs SWAYA, Ngozi Anyanwu sensitized the girls on the need to see themselves as future women with great potentials to shape society and contribute globally, stressing that such feats can only be achieved if the students eschew negative vices such as drug/substance abuse.

On his part, the Head, Digital Content Generation at Kristina Reports, Clement Udom, who is also a student of the Kebetkache Leadership School and Executive Director and Founder, Inen Youth Initiative (IYI), described the event as an attempt by the Kebetkache Leadership School in concert with Kristina Reports and other NGOs to give back to the society.

Udom, who is also the Convener of the Centre for Community Engagement and Sustainable Development, Human and Environmental Rights Activist, Climate Change and Gender Equality Campaigner, thanked the participants for making out the time to attend and also make meaningful contributions to the workshop, expressing optimism that the event will yield positive outcomes.

In her speech, a retired teacher, Gloria Alagbogu, who is also a civil rights advocate, volunteer with the Home of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), and Associate with Peace in the Niger Delta (PIND), educated the young girls on the dangers of drug abuse and ways of becoming useful citizens of the society.

In her keynote speech, a senior Education Counselor with the National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT), Ibigbari Vincent-Eretoru, who is also a student of the Kebetkache Leadership School, urged the girls to desist from drug abuse, cultism, and deviant behaviour and embrace ICT to better their lives.

Recently, statistics on abuse of drugs and other harmful substances, cultism, and other social vices has continued to escalate with stakeholders battling to checkmate the ugly trend.