Former Commissioner Harps On Drug War In Rural Areas

Former Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tamunoiyoriari Sampson Parker, has underscored the importance of the campaign against drug abuse, especially in rural areas.
He stressed the need for the society to make a conscious effort to drive the advocacy on drug abuse down to the grassroots.
Parker stated this during his presentation on the topic, “Drug Abuse”, as the guest speaker at an event to commemorate the birthday of the founder of the International Scout Movement, Lord Robert Baden-Powell recently in Port Harcourt.
He said the campaign against drug abuse must be simplified to a one-on-one and door-to-door basis, adding that we must all make sacrifices and take responsibility to simplify the campaign in order to keep those who are drug-free to remain free.
The former Commissioner,  who disclosed that being a scout member was his childhood dream said “some youth groups have come together to cause havoc like confraternities, they have come to promote lawlessness, drug abuse and all sorts of things including cultism, maiming, and killing,  but the Scouts have come together to say no. They want to do the opposite to bring up the youths for new awareness, for good things, for the lawfulness and promoting the tenets of christianity”.
He however advised the leadership of the Rivers State Scouts Council to recruit younger ones and train them to be good leaders in the near future, while urging them to bring back the missing morals in the youths, adding that the only answer to evil is bigger good.
In his remarks, the Deputy President of the State Scout Council, Barr. Franklin Peterside said the Founders Day event was an opportunity to expose the value of scouting which was tremendous and very effective in the society.
He said in terms of membership drive, the Scout movement has been affected by the fact that people are not predisposed to the old values which he said the present leadership was trying to address.

By: Kevin Nengia