Search For Common Ground Journalism Forum Campaigns Against Drug Abuse In Rivers State

 

By: Awajis Josiah-Chijindu 

Commemorating with the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Search for Common Ground Journalism Forum (SFCGJF), Rivers Chapter carried out a sensitization session to students of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education on Effect of Cultism and Drug Abuse.

The event which took place on Thursday, June 26, 2025 at the school premises in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital also included community youths in the area.

The sensitization programme is a fall out of the various capacity trainings benefitted by the Common Ground Journalism Forum on the European Union funded Community Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality in the Niger Delta project being implemented by Search For Common Ground (SFCG) in 66 communities, 33 local government areas of Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States.

 Speaking to Newsmen after the event, Director of the Okechukwu Onuchukwu Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Prof Kingdom Elendu-Nweanyi advised the youths and students to live above cultism, malpractices and drug abuse.

On his part, the immediate past Chairman of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Mr Promise Anele, revealed that drug abuse also known as substance use disorder is a mental disease and so there's need for the government to provide more rehab centres to assist in managing the high number of patients in Rivers State.

The mass media and information management coordinator for Search For Common Ground, Mr. Sunny Dada while commending the Common Ground Journalism Forum, Rivers State for organizing the sensitization programme stated that the choosing theme of Cultism and Drug Abuse which are conflict triggers are timely and speaks to the choice of audience too, the students.

One of the participants, a student of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Miss Esther Barisele-Babie stated that coming to the programme has helped her so much and will help her to assist one of her friends who is currently on drugs noting that those abusing drugs need help.

Other participants who gained knowledge from the sensitization programme promised to step down the knowledge to other people and to stay away from all forms of drug abuse and cultism activities.