Alhaji Usman Salifu Tanko (middle)
ALHAJI USMAN Salifu Tanko, the chief of the Bissa (Busanga) community in the Ashanti Region, has warned the Ghanaian youths particularly those who reside in Zongo areas to desist from abusing Tramadol and other illicit drugs.
The revered traditional ruler attributed the high rate of violence and killings among the Zongo youths to the abuse of Tramadol and urged Ghanaians to use drugs that are prescribed by qualified medical practitioners.
Alhaji Usman Salifu Tanko said these when he marked his 40th anniversary as the chief of the Bissa community last Friday, May 25, 2018, at Sabon Zongo in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi.
The opinion leader expressed worry over the high rate of crime among the Zongo youths, saying, “We did not train our children this way so I am astonished why some of them always engage in activities that dent the reputation of Zongos”.
He advised recalcitrant youths to stop engaging in drug abuse, violent crimes, and rather learn from the success stories of their counterparts who are in schools and those lawfully working with their hands to earn a living.
“If you are a child, you must emulate the good deeds of your father. We were not like the youth of today so I plead with all and sundry to desist from wee smoking and illegal activities,” he advised.
On his part, Sheikh Usman Yussif, the Chief Imam for the community, also advised the youths to find jobs to do instead of roaming the streets lackadaisically, stressing that “The devil finds work for idle hands, leading to serious troubles”.
He urged all those who have dropped out of school to return to the classroom or seek apprenticeship in requisite vocations immediately to become relevant in society.
He exhorted them, saying, “You need not be ashamed of the kind of job you do; the important thing is that it must be legal. There are youths working as truck pushers and head porters who are making lots of money”.
FROM James Quansah, Kumasi