Declare state of emergency in substance abuse, Senate urges FG

Declare state of emergency in substance abuse, Senate urges FG

The Senate has issued a plea to the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in response to the escalating crisis of drugs and narcotics abuse within Nigeria.

Furthermore, the Red Chamber has instructed its 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.

He pointed out that what was once a transit route in the 1990s has now transformed into a nation grappling with drug abuse and trafficking. He drew attention to the substantial expenditure on psychotropic drugs and alcoholic beverages, emphasising the urgency of the situation.

Hussaini cited a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the European Union, revealing that approximately 14.3 million Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 are engaged in drug abuse. He provided a breakdown of drug usage across various geopolitical zones, painting a stark picture of the extent of the problem.

He said, “Nigeria is currently facing a rise in drug abuse which has reached an unprecedented level transforming from a mere transit route in the 1990s, into a country filled with drug abusers and drug traffickers all over its land space, while a population of 30 to 35 million spends approximately $15,000 and $30,000annually on psychotropic drugs and alcoholic beverages, respectively.

The lawmaker added, “Also note that according to a report by the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime and the European Union on drug use in Nigeria, about 14.3 million Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64, are drug abusers;

“The report stated that 10.6 million addicts were cannabis users, 4.6 addicts used pharmaceutical opioids and 238,000 drug abusers used amphetamines;

“The report further revealed that the prevalence of drug use per geopolitical zone as far back as 2017 shows that the North-West zone accounted for 12% (3,000,000), North-East zone 13.6% (2,090,000), North-Central zone 10.0% (1,500,000), South-West zone 22.4% (4,382,000), South-South zone 16.6% (2,124,000), and the South-East zone 13.8% (1,550,000).”

He lamented that the main drugs abused in Nigeria are mood-altering or psychoactive drugs, performance-enhancing drugs, dependency drugs, as well as prescription drugs, “whose side effects include addiction, trauma, mental illness and often times resulting in ill health, violence and involvement in criminal activities.”

He said the Senate is disturbed that a significant number of deaths from accidents and violent crimes have been traced to the activities of persons under the influence of drugs “especially the discovery of more dangerous substances called ‘Kurkura’ in the North and ‘Umkpromiri’ in the South.”

The motion reads in part: “Worried that the prevalence of drug abuse in Nigeria is a public health challenge which seems to be on the increase despite intervention by international, regional, federal and state bodies through laws, policies, and technical supports;

“Also worried that the war against drug abuse carried out by the NDLEA and other relevant institutions of both state and federal governments are not providing the required result, hence the need to include special drug education as a compulsory subject in Nigerian basic education;

“Alarmed that the consequences of drug abuse will continue to endanger our national development, public safety and family system if urgent action is not taken to strengthen existing legal, policy and institutional frameworks to face the challenges with all sense of responsibility.”

Senator Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo also supported the motion.