FOIA VANGUARDS SENSITISE STUDENTS ON THE FOI ACT

The FOIA CDS Group in Olorunda, Ilesa West and Ifelodun Local Government went out in their numbers all across the local governments stated to carry out the task of enlightening students across the local governments on the powers and provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

 Ilesa West and Ifelodun Vanguards sensitised the students of BetGad Secondary School Ilesa and Akinorun Secondary School, Ikirun respectively on the meaning and significance of the Act. They made it known to the students that the Act empowers them to access public records and information and that it is a powerful tool in checkmating public institutions and fighting corruption. 

The sensitisation took place across the Local governments on Thursday. 

They further highlighted some of the gains of the Act, which are: transparency, accountability, citizens participation in governance, proactive disclosure, amongst others. 

The sensitisation which was interactive saw the students fertile minds being recalibrate to believe a Corrupt free society through the instrumentality of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011. The students were seen asking questions and also making contributions during the sensitisation. 

Meanwhile, Vanguards in Olorunda LG recently sensitized students of ADS Grammar School, Osogbo on the FOI Act. They further sensitised the students on the dangers of drug and substance abuse. According to them, fighting corruption requires a stable and healthy citenzry as a drug addict cannot contribute positively to nation building. Thus explaining the reason why they embarked on the special sensitization. 

 

“Drug and substance abuse has posed a great problem amongst youth in Nigeria and across the world. Drug abuse is increasing at an alarming rate thereby causing serious threat to the nation by increasing criminal activities, health challenges, hampering productivity, increasing social and moral decadence as well as impeding the general progress of the society.” they charged. 

It is no news that young adults especially those in secondary schools are becoming the largest hostages of drug abuse in the world.

This is due to poor sensitization in the harm of such drugs and now everyone is reaping the results. 

“Substance abuse isn't a subject anyone should take lightly, our response to this parasitic threat will end up making or marring the coming generation.

It occurs when you use alcohol, prescription medicine, and other legal and illegal substances too much or in the wrong way.” they added

The team went ahead to note that any type of drug can be abused as Drug or Substance abuse is simply the harmful use of psychoactive substances including alcohol and illicit drugs. The most common substances abused are; alcohol, marijuana, various kinds of cough syrups, sedative tablets, heroin, cocaine, tobacco (cigarette) etc. 

The group clamored to the young students that addiction to drug abuse is never in the positive as it leads into substance addiction with the development of tolerance and dependence. Tolerance refers to a situation where the consumer needs more of the drug to experience the same effect. 

“As a consumer continues to take drugs, the brain in quest to adapt, reduces the ability of cells to respond to it. This process reduces the feeling of being high that the person feels compared to how they felt when first taking the drug. Smaller quantities, which were sufficient earlier, would no longer be effective, as such, the user is forced to increase the amount of drug intake slowly leading to drug dependence. At this stage, the individual would need a higher amount of the drug in order for the body to function.” stated the Osogbo FOIA CDS Group president.

After a user becomes dependent, stopping the drugs suddenly would lead to withdrawal symptoms ranging from discomfort to convulsions depending on the type of drug used.

Hence in order to avoid this, the user is forced to continue abusing the drug even when the drug is damaging him/ her

They didn’t stop there as they went on to state the common causes of this abuse which were mostly social factors including; Peer pressure, imitation, gross availability of these substances, psychological factors etc.

Drug and Substance abuse has a wide range of physical, psychological, social and occupational problems. It affects not only the user and their families but all areas of the society. Substance abuse can drain a family's financial and emotional resources. Many of the families with a substance consumer also have difficulty in running the day-to-day activities of the household, thus having an overall impact on the family and this society.

 

This doesn’t include the mental drain it has on the individuals health and safety and overall mental health. 

Substance abusing youths are thereby at higher risks than non- abusers. 

 

The consequence of substance abuse on the society are too numerous to ignore for its ripple negative effect. Everyone must be notified and begin to seek change. 

Every hands must be on deck to curb this menace.