The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Akwa Ibom State command has urged the Ministry of Education to conduct a drug test on the students of Uyo High School as well as students in other schools before re-admitting them into school.
The agency stated this following the increasing rate of cultism and violent crimes in schools which it said was a result of suspected intake of hard drugs by the students.
Obot Bassey, the state commander, advised this while speaking on the “Role of hard drugs in Teenage cultism” at the panel discussion on, “finding solutions to Teenage cultism: A case study of Uyo High school”, organised by Rotary Club of Uyo metropolis in collaboration with Lions club Uyo, Jaycees Club International, Global shapers, and Toastmasters, in Uyo.
“The (NDLEA) enjoins the Commissioner for Education Akwa Ibom State to get Drug test kits, before you send the students back to Uyo High school, let them be tested before they are reabsorbed into the school. Heinous crimes such as kidnapping, banditry, rape, cultism are all hinged on hard drugs,” she said.
The Commander who resumed duties four months ago in Akwa Ibom State said the command has seized 165 kilogrammes of hard drugs from 105 youths within the period recalling that last week, August 6, a 26-year-old male was arrested with 1.2031kg of Cocaine worth N25 million saying it was the highest seizure in the state in 18years.
Idongesit Etiebet, the commissioner for education, giving an overview of the situation at Uyo High school noted that it does not only negatively affect the teaching and learning processes but also persons in the society, stressing that whenever there is a crisis, the violence leads to the destruction of people’s vehicles, houses, and other valuable properties.
Etiebet who was represented by the Director of Quality Assurance in the ministry, Mrs Roseline Mfon, said some teachers are living in fear saying that kind of atmosphere would disrupt the teaching process.
“The case of Uyo High school has been at the front burner in the state, and it is quite serious. It is a source of concern to everybody, both the government and the people of Akwa Ibom state and beyond.
Speaking earlier, the president of Rotary Club in the State and Commissioner of Information, Ini Ememobong said the collaboration of the service Organizations was aimed at the humanitarian impact felt on the people.
He said students would be invited during future discussions.
