Mrs. Violet A.Kaburuk DG Zishiya empowerment foundation


By Daniel Dauda, Jos



A non governmental organization known as Zishiya empowerment foundation have made a clarion call to the Government at all levels on the need to ensure effective inclusion of drugs abuse in education curriculum to mitigate the menace ravaging our society.

The director general of the foundation, Mrs. Violet A. Kaburuk who made the appeal, suggested that mechanism needs to put in place and ensure constant checkmating of students right from primary to Tertiary institutions of learning.

Kaburuk said:" the more we do that the better for us because our core values system is depreciating daily.

"Therefore, there is an urgent need to make deliberate efforts by educating our wards to understand the dangers behind such illicit drugs and desist from it".

The DG, Kaburuk was speaking on Tuesday in Jos the state capital during an official opening of a four days workshop for social workers cutting across the 17 Local Government Areas of Plateau.

The workshop which has the theme" management of substance abuse in workplace: challenges and prospects" is in collaboration with Plateau State Local Government service commission.

According to her, the workshop is timely and key which aimed to de-escalate the escalation of illicit substances in the Government parastatals and inject new ideas in the workforce for effective service delivery.

Speaking at the workshop, Nurse Kizito Ndak who was a guest speaker stated a lot of social vices happening in the society today such as; thuggery, cultism, inordinate ambition, sexual abuse and examination malpractice which is common among Nigerian youths is as a result of drugs abuse.

Ndak revealed that nationally about 14.4% of Nigerians between the ages of 15-65 years abuse illicit drugs and nearly 40% are at high risk.

He said in Plateau and Jos in particular multiple substance abuse was 81% while the multiple drugs abuse was significantly associated with younger age group. The mean age of onset of abuse is 12-17 years.

The speaker acknowledged that" as a social workers it is your duty and responsibility to be equip with knowledge and enlighten people properly on the dangers ahead as far as drugs abuse is concerned".