Drug abuse, hate speech threaten Nigeria’s future – CNG, others

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has warned that drug abuse, hate speech and campus disunity pose serious threats to Nigeria’s future, urging students to embrace responsible leadership, positive values and mentorship.

The warning was issued during a one-day public lecture organised by the Students’ Wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG-SW), Benue State Chapter, at the Faculty of Law auditorium of the Moses Orshio Adasu University Makurdi (MOUAM).

The lecture, themed “Building Responsible Student Leadership: Combating Drug Abuse, Thuggery, Hate Speech and Campus Disunity Through Positive Values and Mentorship,” attracted students, academics, traditional rulers and civic leaders from within and outside the university.

Welcoming participants, the North Central Zonal Coordinator of CNG-SW, Comrade Yoosu Kenneth, said the programme was designed to reawaken students’ sense of responsibility, noting that campuses remain critical spaces for shaping future leaders.

In his keynote, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Benjamin Ahule, said leadership on campus is defined by influence and example rather than positions or titles. 

He stated that hate speech undermines unity and threatens peaceful coexistence within academic communities.

He noted that “Student leadership is not merely about holding positions or wearing titles. It is about influence, example and responsibility. Our campuses are incubators of ideas, values and leadership. What we allow to thrive today will shape the society we inherit tomorrow.”

He urged student leaders to institutionalize mentorship programmes, promote respectful communication and adopt non-violent approaches to resolving disputes on campus.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Coalition of Northern Groups, Comrade Jamilu Charanchi, described drug abuse as a moral, political and security crisis, warning that it fuels cultism, violence and insecurity. 

“Drug abuse is not merely social misconduct; it is a political, moral and security crisis,” he said, cautioning against the use of substances such as tramadol, marijuana, cocaine, codeine and heroine, which he said impair judgement, cripple academic performance and leadership potential.