The Red Chamber has also instructed the National Agency for Administration Control, Drugs and Narcotics committee to collaborate with pertinent federal agencies in convening a National Summit addressing the issue of drugs and narcotics abuse in the nation.
These decisions were reached during the Senate’s deliberation on a motion titled: “Immediate Intervention Required to Combat Drug Abuse in Nigeria” during its plenary session. The motion was introduced by Senator Babangida Uba Hussaini of the APC representing Jigawa Northwest.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasised the critical nature of the drug abuse crisis in the country. He expressed alarm at the extent to which some young individuals have resorted to drilling holes in soakaway pits to inhale vapours for a high. He urged parents to regularly inspect their soakaways to ensure they are intact.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau underscored the significance of youth to a country’s future, noting that when the youth are adversely affected, it jeopardises the nation’s prospects.
He highlighted that drug abuse permeates various segments of society, including celebrities and politicians. While commending the efforts of the NDLEA, Barau called for heightened vigilance from all parties responsible for addressing this issue.
He said, “The future of every country lies in its youth and when you have something that is destroying your youth, it shows that your future is in jeopardy.
“This scourge is everywhere, even celebrities who are supposed to be role models, be exemplary and show the way for others to follow are also into it. Politicians alike and indeed, all spheres of our life.”
He added, “The NDLEA is doing very well but the motion is a wake-up call for all those that have the responsibility for making sure that we deal with this matter to wake up and make sure that they do the needful in getting this matter dealt with properly.
“We must include this phenomenon in our school curriculum to begin to teach our children from the primary school level, the negative effects of drug abuse. Elsewhere, like in the United States, there are courses even in the universities that deal with abuse. We need to put that on the front burner in our higher institutions so that people will be aware of the harmful effects of drug abuse.
“It is a sad commentary on the way things are done in this country. Human capital is what drives a good economy and we have an abundance of population but we are allowing it to get destroyed through the intake of illicit drugs.”
“We must all join hands and work together to make sure we deal with the menace of drug abuse,” Barau stated.
Senator Hussaini, in his lead argument, highlighted the unprecedented surge in drug abuse in Nigeria.
