Danger looms at Shukura, Russia

By: Kelvin Adu- Twum Peprah

Weeks of painstaking investigations by The Ghanaian Journal.com has revealed that danger is looming in Sukura, a suburb of Accra in the Ablekuma South Constituency due to the activities of illegal drug peddlers.

The Ghanaian Journal.com gathered that the youth in the area have abandoned their businesses and instead opted to twenty –four hour use of Marihuana popularly referred to as wee.

Six in ten (10) youth in the area are grossly engaged in the use of Marihuana thereby swelling criminal activities in the locality, our investigations have revealed.

In a move to ascertain why the youth have decided to engage in these social vice, instead of involving in a rather productive businesses, this reporter took to the streets of the area to speak to some of the residents.

Muntala Iddrisu, 17, and Junior High School dropout who sharing his thought on how he was lured into marihuana smoking by his peers.

“I have never liked my current situation and if anything explains my attitude, then my parents should be hold responsible for my current state.

“My parents refused to pay my school fees. At a point I had to sit at home for one full term until a relative or a philanthropist comes to pay my fees.

Another respondent, Yaa Asamoah, 25 observed: “Whiles doing nothing at home, one has to find some job to do and in so doing i found myself in selling wee. Sir (referring to our reporter) it was not my intension to get involved in this business,”

Mr. Osei Nti, a known evangelist in the area speaking to the paper noted with grave concern the severity of the issue in the locality.

“I do not understand the reason why the youth in this area instead of learning a trade or furthering their education have decided to engage themselves in drugs,” adding that, the security agencies should be up and doing to curb the menace.

However, our findings also established that teenage pregnancy is on the increase in the area, as girls between the ages of 16 to 19 are engaged in prostitution at night.

Mallam Rashid, a Muslim cleric, sharing his thought on the current upsurge in teenage pregnancy and other social said “not until the Gov’t imposes strict measures on when a teenager should be spotted loitering outside late in the eveing, this problem of immorality amongst the youth here (referring Sukura/ Russia) will not stop.”

Efforts to reach the Member of Parliament in area, Hon. Theophilus Tetteh Chai for his comments yielded fruitless results as calls to his cell phone went unanswered.

Dr David Nuamah, a medical practitioner speaking to the paper on the possible side effects of marihuana smoking explained “Marijuana is the word used to describe the dried flowers, seeds and leaves of the Indian hemp plan. On the street, it is commonly referred to as Astro turf, Bhang, Dagga, Dope, Ganja, Grass, Hemp, Home Grown, J, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Roach Texas Tea and Weed.

“Hashish is a related form of the drug made from the resins of the Indian hemp plant which is also called chocolate, hash, or shit, it is on average six times stronger than marijuana,” stated Dr Nuamah.

Dr. Nuamah noted that excessive smoke of marijuana can cause diseases such as mental challenges, dysphonic, panic and paranoid.