Barima Osei Hwedie II, the Ejurahene (Chief), has sounded the alarm over the rising cases of drug abuse among Ghanaian youth, describing it as a threat to the country’s future and calling for urgent intervention by all stakeholders.
Speaking during the climax of the 2025 Ejura Sekyerene Festival (Yam Festival), the chief appealed to young people to avoid harmful drugs and other social vices that could jeopardise their lives and the community.
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“Drug abuse leads to deterioration of physical and mental health, increase in crime rates, social unrest, and destruction of lives and properties,” he stated, linking the surge in youth indiscipline to broader national difficulties.
Barima Osei Hwedie called for a collective and holistic approach involving families, traditional leaders, government agencies, and community members to address the problem, which he said was threatening peace and development in Ejura and across Ghana.
He also urged residents to maintain cleanliness in their communities to prevent diseases, emphasising the broader responsibility of citizens in safeguarding public health.
Supporting the call, Odeneho Okyere Kusi Ntrama II, Paramount Chief of the Esumenya Traditional Council, expressed concern over the number of energetic youths losing their lives to illicit drugs and stressed the importance of stakeholder collaboration to curb the menace for the sake of national development and security.
