VICE Chancellor of Nigeria's first Islamic faith-based university, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Professor Noah Yusuf, has advised the nation's university vice-chancellors to screen prospective students on drug use before they mix and influence innocent ones. 

In his speech at the 12th convocation ceremony of the university in Ilorin on Saturday, Professor Yusuf said that some fresh school leavers, who recently got admission into AlHikmah University, Ilorin tested positive for drugs. 

“It was painful to the management to discover that students who just left secondary school a few months ago and sat for university qualifying examination, got duly admitted, only to test positive for drugs two weeks during registration procedure.

The irony of it all is that the parents admitted that the children are under their care and tutelage. If such a fresher who tested positive for drugs was not discovered through the rigorous admission screening at the onset, the multiplier effects in four or five years of his stay in the university would spell great disaster. 

“This is, therefore, a clarion call to parents in particular and the society at large to de- vote more attention to our children. Individually and collectively. Let us join hands together with NDLEA to fight this ugly monster. A stitch in time saves many.

My colleague vice-chancellors may wish to borrow a leaf from this discovery and put in place measures to screen prospective students immediately on admission before they mix with, and influence innocent ones,” he enjoined.