By Francesca Hangeior

Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Saturday, begged African youths to stay away from drugs, describing substance abuse as very destructive.

Obasanjo said drug abuse could cut short the life of anyone indulging in the unwholesome practice.

He lamented the growing challenge of drugs and substance abuse in sub-Sharan Africa, urging the youths having challenges with drug abuse to speak out and seek help to be delivered from the consequences which include untimely death.

“Against the notion that African was only being used as a transit for drugs coming from Latin America, consumption of drugs too in Africa is an issue and it has grown the more in the last 10 years, even getting worse,” he stated.

The former President spoke on Saturday at the 2nd edition of Fly Above The High sensitisation programme on drugs abuse which was organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network, at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.

Obasanjo said, “While serving as the Chairman of West African Drug Commission under the auspices of Kofi Anan Foundation. We were nine on the commission.

“We went around West Africa on the belief that we were free from drugs which come mainly from Latin America and go to North America and Europe
“But to our dismay, displeasure, and pain, at the end of the exercise, we found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa.”

Obasanjo lamented the havoc drug abuse was wrecking in the life of the youth, pleading with them never to succumb to the temptation of going near it for any reason.

The former president said he always talked about drugs with all soberness, recounting that there was a time when one of his cousins, who got involved in drugs died a drug-related death, despite doing everything possible to rehabilitate him and make him live a normal life.

“Addiction is a form of disease, some diseases cannot be cured but can be managed. I have been living with diabetes for over 40 years and I am still here by the grace of God.

The former President equally called on the people to support those who had gone into drugs and were willing to come out of it, adding that saying a word of prayer for them too could prove to be the turning point.

Speaking at the event, the President of Recovery Advocacy Network, Dr Kunle Adesina, said the need for the sensitisation was to step up the campaign against drug and substance abuse.

A mental health expert, Dr Sam Abah, who spoke on “Rewired for Dependency: How Drug Use Affect The Brain,” urged the youth to stay away from drugs, noting that drug addiction destroyed the brains.