Arewa group urges NDLEA to use dialogue to end drug addiction in Nigeria
The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has opined that to dismantle the grip of drug addiction in Nigeria, there is the need to transcend dialogue and move towards action marked by precision and purpose.
The NYCN in a letter to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), proposed Mandatory Drug Screening at Every Critical Gateway of Nigerian Life, saying that the framework is not conceived as a punitive measure, but a vital tool for protection and intervention.
The letter signed by NYCN National President, Isah Abubakar noted that drug crisis threatens to unravel the nation’s national fabric, believing that individual effort is not enough.
He explained that there is urgent need for a comprehensive, systematic defense that backs up every good parent and citizen in Nigeria, stressing that their goal is to establish a national system that flags individuals who desperately need help, as the nation’s future is irreparably damaged.
Abubakar stated that the council proposed 10-point plan to safeguard the nation’s institutions urging NDLEA to champion it by testing students before they write the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), and before they receive a letter of admission to any tertiary institution (university or polytechnic).
It also enjoined NDLEA to test graduates before they collect their university degree certificates, and before they enter or receive their discharge certificate from the NYSC orientation camps.
The NYCN suggested that candidates should be tested before any job appointment in the public or private sector, and enforce routine, periodic testing for all employed individuals.
On politics and leadership, the letter stressed that no political party shall issue an expression or nomination form to any citizen including all political appointees without first receiving a mandatory, negative drug test and a routine check after three (3) month, saying that leaders must uphold the highest standards.
It stated that NDLEA should engage proactively with the cultural icons and musicians to end the public display and use of all forms of hard drugs, ensure they inspire, rather than endanger, the youth.
The NYCN also advised that NDLEA should champion the necessary drive to ensure the entire institutional framework is enshrined in law, establishing clear, enforceable national legislation, believing that it is the only way to safeguard the most precious resource and the young generation.
Abubakar said, “We believe the NDLEA must be just as intentional and relentless in its efforts to prosecute the drug dealers who poison our streets as it is in securing the pathways for intervention and rehabilitation for those who fall victim.”
He explained that Nigeria’s destiny is worth the fight, urging NDLEA to take the lead in transforming the proposal into national policy by working together to clean house, institution by institution, and build the drug-free nation Nigerians deserve.