Date: 2017-03-13

Students in Kwara State have been warned against joining secret cults and engaging in social vices that could jeopardise their future ambition.

Delivering his address at the career talk organised by the Government Day Junior Secondary School, Karuma, Ilorin, Kwara, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed on Security Matters, Dr. Suleiman Abdulsalam , said the phenomenon of social vices in secondary schools has constituted a major subject of private and public concern.

He noted that "This category of youths do not often realise the future likely consequences of the social vices they engage in while in school. Hence, they have become prime targets for outside criminals who their vulnerability to initiate, indoctrinate and encourage them to engage in social vices.

He pointed out that there is no secondary or high school worldwide that is immuned from some of the common social vices, saying that the degree of occurrence and manifestation may differ.

The gov's aide enumerated the social vices to include cultism, drug abuse, examination malpractices, sexual promiscuity and indecent dressing.

Harping on the negative effect of cultism on students, he stressed that it often leads to poor academic performance, withdrawal from school and the risk of arrest and jail term of 14 years as well as the grave consequence of untimely death.

"Manifestation of social vices among secondary school students in Nigeria have had negative effects on the realisation of their educational pursuit. Some have died primitively while some have dropped out, this constituted source of sadness to their parents, threat to their immediate environment and the larger society," he added.

Abdulsalam, therefore, admonished the students to stay focused on their studies so as to realise their future ambitions, towards contributing their quota to the development of the nation.

In his remarks, Principal of the school, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Gegele, advised the students to flee all appearances of evil and imbibe moral virtues. He said the novel initiative of the career talk aimed at guiding students on choice of future ambition will be sustained and improved.