Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has called on relevant authorities to see sports as a veritable tool in the fight against drug abuse in Nigeria.
The Governor made this call at a seminar organised as part of the activities to mark the Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament in Benin City.
The theme for the second edition of the Betsy Obaseki Women Football Tournament is “say no to drugs”.
The ten-day event which commenced on September 7 seeks to enlighten women and young girls on the dangers associated with the use of narcotics.
To buttress this, a seminar has been held to sensitise the audience made up of students, undergraduates, the working class, parents, guardians and relevant key players on the menace.
The facilitator of the games is the wife of Edo State Governor Betsy Obaseki. She sees sports as one area that can engage the youths positively.
For Governor Godwin Obaseki, all hands must be on deck to tackle drug abuse noting the importance of sports in this venture.
Also Read: Betsy Obaseki Football Tournament opens in Benin
Members of the Nigerian Governors Wives Forum from Abia, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Osun, Oyo, Sokoto and Taraba states were present at the event.
Chairperson of the forum, Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi cautioned against ingesting illegal substances and revealed the toll the harmful practice takes on families.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa was represented by Otunba Lanre Ipinmsho.
He lauded the initiative of the tournament and called for a sustained fight against illicit drugs.
The high point of the seminar was the decoration of Betsy Obaseki as an Ambassador for tackling drug abuse.
(Editor: Ena Agbanoma)
