… advocates intentional parenting, regulation of media content to curb menace
BLESSING TAIWO
In commemoration of the 2025 World Day against drug abuse and trafficking, students of Mountain Top University (MTU), Ogun State, were sensitised on the dangers of drug abuse.
During the symposium organised by the Directorate of Apprenticeship and Community Relations, Mountain Top University in conjunction with Mountain Top Rehabilitation Center at the Multi-purpose hall of the institution on Thursday, the need for intentional and collaborative parenting was emphasised.
The keynote speaker at the event, Pastor Olugbenga Taiwo, said media content should be controlled and regulated to curb the spate of drug abuse among teenagers and young adults.
His words, “the first point of call are the parents who are the first custodians of the children. Parenting is a serious business and parental failure is a serious issue.
“Another prevailing cause is the negative side of social media. Most times, the youths are quick to pick the negative than the positive side of social media.
Social media amplifies and gives credence to hard drugs. In several music videos, we see artistes smoking and drinking.
“This passes a message to the younger generation.
There should be a level of control on the media content that gets out there.”
The cleric advised the government to employ a compassion-based approach, which involves proper counseling, monitoring and rehabilitation rather than criminalisation of drug abusers.
“Beyond the laws and punishment, there is a need for us to add a level of compassion to the approach we are using because there is a story behind every drug abuse.
“The underlying cause for each person may be different. Compassion helps us investigate to know the root cause and bring restoration as an option.
“The compassion-based approach will ensure that there is proper counseling, monitoring and rehabilitation and a way to integrate them back to society. If there is no care, therapy and restitution process in place, when the person returns to society, he is coming to vent anger on society. That is why someone goes to jail and in less than one month, they’re back there,” Pastor Taiwo said.
In her remarks, Dr Omolola Mary Omosebi, Director of Apprenticeship and Community Relations, Mountain Top University, enjoined the youths to draw closer to God and live purposefully.
“God has a purpose for your life. You need to find your purpose and your purpose lies in God, your creator. Draw close to God and pursue that purpose,” she advised.
Dr Omosebi charged parents whose children are drug abusers not to give up on them but to collaborate in dealing with the situation.
“Even though there is already a problem, both parents can join hands to help the situation. Most of these cases occur because the parents are not united.
They don’t have a united front when it comes to dealing with the children.
“The parents need to rise up to their task and not leave society to deal with their issues for them. They should join hands with the teachers and educational institutions to solve the problem. In addition, pray for your children.”
Olushola Tejuosho, Team lead of the Mountain Top Rehabilitation Center, an arm of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), emphasised prevention of the use of substances, hence the sensitisation programme in the institution.
“World Drug day is a day set aside to create awareness concerning the dangers of drug abuse and trafficking.
“To preach the message of prevention, we brought the message to the university community to sensitive the students on the abuse of substances and its effects on their future.
“The studentship period is a critical period as they are teenagers and young adults. This is the stage they will want to experiment a lot of things. They are curious and willing to explore different things.
“In the long run get hooked with usage of substances, which might be the beginning of a terrible journey. Through the sensitisation programme, we make them understand that there are several drugs out there but they must have the right coping strategy to avoid it and what to do when there is a challenge,” Tejuosho stated.
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