NYSE facade at Christmas
span;>Tackling the Menace of Drugs
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<span;>By Dela Ahiawor
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<span;>In Ghana, the Sarkin (chief) of the Hausa and Fulani community of Alajo and Kotobabi in Accra, Sarkin Sidi Basiru Ali Ahmed has recently been losing sleep over the menace of drugs in his neck of the woods.
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<span;>He claims, this is due to the alarming surge in the use of illicit prescription opioids among the youth demographic in Alajo and Kotobabi (suburbs with concentrated poverty) in Accra, the capital city of Ghana.
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<span;>Representing a commonality shared by most Zongo (Muslim populated) communities in Ghana- it’s not surprising that drug abuse is prevalent and escalating in the environs of Alajo and Kotobabi. Not to mention, the more agonizing reality of widespread drug abuse, life- threatening addiction and overdose -related fatalities among the the youth.
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<span;>Admittedly, I was struck by a “Say no to Drugs” post recently on Sarkin Sidi Ali’s Facebook feed. And he came across as a progressive chief- for engaging social media to counter the menace of drugs in his community. No doubt, in recent times social media offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the youth.
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<span;>When I finally broached a chat on the menace of drugs in his community, Sarkin Sidi Ali notes: “In Zongo (deprived Muslim) communities like Alajo and Kotobabi and its environs, the drug problem is real. The consumption of drugs is destroying the youth so I have to do something, I just can’t look on, we have to use every means possible, even social media, Facebook and Ticktock to educate the youth about the consequences of using drugs.”
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<span;>Definitely, drug abuse cannot be entirely without any tangible cause. Does this suggest anything to you? He adds: “You are right. We have a lot of drugs peddlers, smokers (young and old) and bad people who have negative influence on the youth. We have socio- economic challenges…there are no jobs for young people, meaning there’s poverty here in Alajo and Kotobabi and its surrounding areas. The problems are many, I can’t mention all, but everyone knows the situation in the Zongos.”
<span;><span;>www.delreport.com