West Mamprusi’s traditional leader took a bold step by forming local taskforces to fight drug abuse among youth, leading to promising results and growing community support that could help overcome the drug menace.

The West Mamprusi Municipal Assembly has commended the Paramount Chief of the Wungu Traditional Area, Naa Salma Issahaku Mahamudu, for his commitment to curbing the intake of illicit drugs in the area.

The community-led initiative spearheaded by the traditional leader is yielding positive results in the fight against drug and substance abuse among the youth in the municipality.

I have to salute my chief for that bold decision to constitute teams. So when you go to Wungu right now there are young boys that have been recruited and in the night they man the various checkpoints to make sure that children do not cluster to abuse substances.

The Assembly Member for Wungu-Nabofong Electoral Area, Tia Yahaya, lauded the chief for taking a bold decision to constitute local taskforces to curb the menace in Wungu and its surrounding communities.

“I have to salute my chief for that bold decision to constitute teams. So when you go to Wungu right now there are young boys that have been recruited and in the night they man the various checkpoints to make sure that children do not cluster to abuse substances,” Yahaya said.

According to him, the intervention is already paying off.

Recounting a recent success, he revealed that just a week ago, the team intercepted some young men who had traveled from their community to Walewale to buy drugs.

“They were loaded with drugs, tramadol. They stopped them, they searched them and retrieved the drugs. Then they forced them to show where they bought them in Walewale and the team had to come to Walewale to even arrest the person who supplied them the drug,” he explained.

He said all those involved were brought before the chief and were fined for trading in illicit substances.

Hon. Yahaya said what is needed now is for the Municipal Assembly to bring all such community leaders together and sensitize them on the best approach to tackling substance abuse.

“I have to salute my chief for this strong stand against drug and substance abuse and it is already paying. Seriously when you go to the villages people are saluting and they are supporting it and I think all other communities should try that and I’m sure collectively we should be able to overcome this drug menace,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for West Mamprusi, Mohammed Rabiyu Jabaah, who is married to the daughter of the chief, also commended Naa Salma for his impartial judgement at his palace whenever cases are brought before him.

Source: Asaaseradio