By: Murtala Issah
A troubling situation has developed at Saint Joseph Basic School, located at Dohinayili, a suburb of Tamale, as reports of drug users congregating in the school after school hours have raised worry among parents and teachers.
According to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), these individuals are often seen at the school around 3 p.m., engaging in various forms of substance abuse, including marijuana, tramadol, and other banned drugs drugs.
In an interview with GBC news, the PTA Chairman, Salahudeen Abdallah, expressed his concern over the safety and well-being of the children and staff at the school, saying it is disheartening to see the school environment being compromised by drug users.
He revealed that, the PTA has made several attempts to remove these individuals from the school’s premises without success.
The presence of drug users in close proximity to the school threatens not only the physical safety of pupils but also their mental health and academic performance. Parents fear that the normalization of such activities could influence the children negatively, potentially leading to increased exposure to drugs at a young age.
Mr. Salaudeen disclosed that, teachers recently found a pupil wrapping up marijuana, popularly known as weed, left behind in a classroom by the smokers.
“As we speak, they (drug users) are hovering around waiting for us to close. It’s like, a shift system, when the pupils are in, they stay in the bushes, as soon as school closes, they turn the whole place into a market for selling drugs and smoking,” he revealed.
He added that, “they come as early as 3pm, by which time some people’s are still waiting to be picked up by their parents.” Attempts by local authorities to address the issue have so far fallen short.
The PTA is now appealing to the Northern Regional Security Council for assistance to clear the area of drug users. They are urging officials to take a decisive action to eliminate the disturbances and restore peace to the school’s surroundings.
Residents of Dohinayili have also voiced their concerns, with many noting an uptick in drug-related activities in the area. Community leaders are supporting the PTA’s plea for intervention, for law enforcement to step in and provide the necessary protections.
During a tour of some classrooms, our correspondent found pieces of wrapped up dry leaves, suspected to be marijuana, capsules of drugs believed to be tramadol and other substances, littered around the campus.
Drug abuse, especially the use of tramadol, popularly known as “tramol” has become a major issue in the Tamale Metropolis, with a recent BBC documentary revealing that, many youth in Tamale, are hooked to the substance.
One Response
I think we have to clear in our repotaged. Exactly where have the drug users turn a base? Are they known people from the community and are we able to trace their houses in the communiyies?
What numbers are we talking about and hsve we spoted some students in this base after school hours?
What measurrs has so far been taken by the school sdministration including the PTA and how had it fail? Has the drug users attemped resist or how has it fail?
At these juncture i wouldnt want to blame anybody but i believe the authorities has not done much deterant enough to deteir the drug users from using the school premises.
I however believe strongly that to be able clear the drug users from the school premises these measures should be adopted; they include
● Stakeholder engsgement: there should be stakeholder engagement to ensure all and sundry, well and opinion leaders from the community otganized on the premises of the school. This is aim at ensuring that members of the community is brief with the dangers of drug abuse and its effects. This also to ensure the community is part of any decision arrived to deal with the drug users
●Taskforce; there should be an inauguration of a taskforce immediately. The taskforce should send a strong warning and eviction plan to the drug users thst evades the school premises.
●The use of security: in the event that point two fail to work the last option will be to involve the police to arrest anybody or the drug users found in the school premises. Prefair charges should be level on such victims that is deterrant enough to ensure that thay vacate the place immediately.
●Lastly adopt moral talks; The school should as interim or short term measure introduce moral talks in the school on every friday. This measure is to instill discepline on the students concerning the effects on the use of drugs.
●Also contact old students for support in the fight of this like my year group 94 badge.