“How I Almost Became a Drug Addict”: Obasanjo Shares Disturbing Experience
- Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has shared insights from his time as Chairman of the West African Drug Commission under the Kofi Annan Foundation
- He noted the disturbing shift in West Africa’s role from a drug transit hub to a significant consumer region
- Recalling his own near-encounter with smoking as a young man, Obasanjo emphasized how the early temptation to use psychoactive substances could have led to addiction had he not experienced severe coughing, which made him quit
TheTalk.NG journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Abeokuta, Ogun state – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed how he almost became a drug addict but sends a key message to Nigerian youths and students.
Obasanjo speaks on almost being a drug addict.
Photo credit: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Obasanjo stated that smoking during his youthful age led to chronic coughing and almost became an addiction.
He opened up in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital, at the second edition of ‘Fly Above The High’, anti-drug campaign conference organised by the Recovery Advocacy Network.
The former President, while lamenting the increase in drug abuse among Nigerians and other West Africans, urged Nigerian students and young people to refrain from abusing psychoactive drugs, saying that they ruin life rather than enhance it.
“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out.
“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.
“We found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” Obasanjo said.
Speaking further, Obasanjo recalled how his tenure as the chairman of the West African Drug Commission under the Kofi Annan Foundation, made him to learn that West Africa is not just a transit point for drugs but has also become a centre of consumption.
As reported by Daily Trust, he said members of the commission crisscrossed West Africa with the belief that the region was free from drugs, which he said, came mainly from Latin America and go to North America and Europe.
“But to our dismay, displeasure, and pain, at the end of the exercise, we found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” Obasanjo said.
The former president insisted that “There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.”
He urged those already addicted to psychoactive drugs to seek help and warned the society against stigmatization.
Read more about Obasanjo here:
State of the nation: Obasanjo taunts Tinubu
In another development, TheTalk.NG previously reported that Obasanjo, blamed President Tinubu for the state of the economy in the country.
Obasanjo said Nigeria’s situation was bad and the nation was sinking into chaos, insecurity, conflict, discord, division, and disunity amongst others.
He said Nigeria’s failure is confirmed and glaring for every honest person to see under the “reign of Baba-go-slow and Emilokan.”
Source: TheTalk.NG
