ASUU strike fueling drug abuse – Obaseki

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has blamed the increasing rate of drug abuse in the state on the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Speaking weekend in Benin after the state’s security council meeting, he described drug abuse as the second biggest security threat in the state after road accidents.

The governor said Edo recorded 19 drug abuse cases in February, 34 in March and 23 in April.

He said: “Drug abuse ranks among the top two of serious security concerns in our state.

“Our analysis shows that there is a high rate of consumption of illicit drugs in the last few months which is not unconnected with the lingering ASUU strike which has kept many students at home and idle.”

He appealed to ASUU and the federal government to end the strike as soon as possible for the interest of the students.

“The idle mind is the devil’s workshop. One way we hope that we can reduce the use of drugs is if we take these children back to school,” Obaseki said.

He also decried the high rate of road crashes which he said had claimed many lives.

He appealed to the Federal Government to repair major arterial roads like the BeninAuchi and OkpellaOkene Roads.”