NOA urges Gombe youths to shun drugs, thuggery, social vices

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Gombe state, has urged youths to avoid doing drugs, thuggery and other social vices that can destabilise the state and destroy their futures.

The State Director of NOA, Adaline Patari gave the advice during an interview session with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe, she said youths as future leaders should be more concerned about the development of the country.

Patari said that it had become imperative to give the advice in view of the connection between drugs and increase in crime rates as well as the need for peace to promote societal development.

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According to her, the security of lives and property should not be the sole responsibility of the government but the society, hence the youth must shun any acts that can threaten peaceful co-existence wherever they find themselves.

According to Patari, NOA in collaboration with relevant agencies is consistently engaging major stakeholders in the state to ensure that youths are discouraged from involving in the use of drugs.

“We recently engaged grassroots stakeholders under the Implementation of National Security Sensitisation Programme against thuggery, kidnapping, drug abuse, radicalisation and violent extremism organised by NOA.

“Now that politics is around the corner, we are appealing to youths not to allow anyone use them as tools to perpetrate crimes because those politicians won’t use their children, so youths must be wise.’’

Patari said NOA as an agency of government involved in community mobilisation would continue to sensitise and mobilise stakeholders against drug abuse, adding that drugs are often associated with virtually all anti-social behaviours bedevilling the country.

She appealed to youths and women to take advantage of the ongoing voter card registration to get be registered to enable them to exercise their voting rights in 2023.

The NOA state director also appealed to parents, grassroots leaders, well-meaning Nigerians and the Gombe state government to do more that will empower youths with relevant skills and make them self-reliant.

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