Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd) has said practically all Nigerians should be subjected to drug test.
Marwa, who made this declaration on Thursday while signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with a firm, Primly Services Limited, for the supply of free drug test kits to NDLEA, said the reason the anti-drug agency was promoting drug test especially for politicians was to deter Nigerians from drug abuse.
He said that if anyone especially politicians knew that if they were discovered to fail the drug test their aspiration and ambition were over, they won’t touch drug miles away.
He equally said that the current push to conduct drug test on politicians, workers and students was to be able to urgently provide help for those who needed treatment and rehabilitation.
Marwa, while expressing happiness that the MoU was finally signed almost three years after the federal government had approved the deal, said at the centre of drug demand reduction was drug testing.
He said: “Practically, all Nigerians should be subjected to drug test; politicians, students, workers and all.
“We have set the ball rolling at the agency because charity begins at home. This will enable us know those afflicted, who need treatment and rehabilitation.
“Equally, it will deter drug abuse because if you know that the result of a drug test will hamper your progression in school, political career or at work, it will deter you. In the same vein, we do expect parents to make sure their children don’t get married to addicts by insisting on drug test before marriage.”
Gen. Marwa expressed delight in the readiness by the Managing Director of Primly Services Ltd, Dr Vincent Udenze to always contribute to efforts to rid Nigeria of illicit substances.
He said in the course of PACEDA work, “Primly Services was part of our resource persons and through that we got to know about this MoU, which had been approved by the Federal Government since 2019 and I am surprised that up till 2021, it has not been executed until now.”
Marwa while thanking the firm for its professionalism and willingness to partner with NDLEA in fighting the drug scourge afflicting the country, said apart from the high quality of the test kits, they are coming at no cost to the agency, adding that the company will only recover its cost from testing.
He said: “We should continue to look for more ways of cooperation to make Nigeria a drug free nation, which is a task that must be done.”
Speaking earlier, Dr Udenze said apart from the test kits coming to NDLEA at no cost, “we will ensure that the kits are one of the best in the country and we will not fail in our duty in this regard.”
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