January 20, (THEWILL) – The Drug Integrity Test, a policy aimed at the early detection of illicit drug use and the early treatment of drug dependence, is gradually being accepted as a reliable tool for mitigating the challenges posed by drug abuse in the country.
In a recent interview with the Nigerian Tribune newspaper, the Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier- General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), said that some tertiary institutions and government establishments have adopted the policy and incorporated it into their administrative processes. In the schools, he noted, the test is one of the requirements for admission of new students.
Asked when the NDLEA would commence drug tests for politicians seeking political office, Marwa said, “This policy is not limited to politicians or any particular social category. It is for everyone—politicians, civil servants, military personnel, students, etc.
“Interestingly, some states have also adopted it as a prerequisite for anyone aspiring to any political position and gradually that is gaining grounds with employers also requesting for same.
“Eventually, as society becomes more aware of the need to reduce drug abuse to the barest minimum, the policy will gain widespread acceptance. That is why we are working to eradicate negative social constructs about illicit drug use, along with enabling factors such as discrimination and stigmatisation, which could deter people from seeking treatment.”
According to the former Military Administrator of Lagos State, the Drug Integrity Test makes it easier for individuals to access treatment in the nick of time, helping to save their future. However, it seems that the idea of making politicians seeking political office to take the test has struck a sensitive nerve.
It is no secret that most Nigerians do not trust the average politician and they are most likely to treat the latter with disdain than respect. The reason is not farfetched. To the poor and less privileged, politicians are members of the oppressive ruling class that have kept them in perpetual poverty and denied them their right to the good life.
Given the prevailing hardship in the country, there is the tendency among the poor to conclude that politicians are their real enemies, the ones who mismanage the country’s economy, manipulate its resources to their sole advantage and make living in this part of the world a huge burden.
Of course, the sins of members of the political class do not end there. The most painful thing is that whenever the aggrieved masses wait for their turn to fight back with their votes during election periods, that is when politicians resort to electoral malpractices to ensure the votes don’t count.
When the ‘sons of perdition’ eventually make their way to the corridors of power for the umpteenth time, it is to continue the usual cycle of mismanagement, wastefulness and corruption.
The truth is that the average citizen of this country would joyfully welcome any means by which every politician, particularly the ones seeking political office, can be medically examined to determine the state of their mental health.
We would like the Federal Government to make it mandatory for the rest of the 36 states to follow the example of the few that have incorporated the Drug Integrity Test into their administrative processes. Henceforth, job seekers must take the test to qualify for employment. That is the right way to go, especially in a country facing a tough challenge with drug abuse.
