The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called for a law to compel Nigerian political and religious leaders, including lawmakers, governors and traditional rulers, to undertake drugs test.
The emir made the call at a two-day Senate Roundtable on Drug Abuse Epidemic in Nigeria, which opened in Kano, yesterday, just as he alleged leaders condone use of illegal substances by their bodyguards and thugs.
“Anybody who elements of drugs abuse is found in him should quickly resign his position because he is not fit to hold (public) position. I suggest that ministers, governors and traditional rulers should go for drugs test because when youths understand that they cannot be governors, ministers or senators if they are drug addicts, they will be into their senses. The country is facing a great danger because the fight against drug abuse has to be taken seriously if we are to succeed. We are deceiving ourselves if we don’t believe that we are part of the problem.
“Today, it is better to be a drug baron, on the payroll of a political leader, than to be a legally recognised security man; which means we must clean our acts before trying to achieve anything.”
The monarch said he is “very ready and happy to be subjected now, to drugs test. And, if I am found not worthy of being emir, I will quietly resign because the matter is bigger than what we are talking about.”
The emir noted that several laws are in the books, to fight drugs abuse but are not being implemented.
“If we are not implementing these laws in the books, what assurances do we have that new ones will be implemented? It is hypocritical and amounts to mere talk for “a governor or senator or any big political office holder” to speak against drugs abuse in society while having “highly drugged thugs as his body guards moving around freely. We are rather deceiving ourselves if we do not accept that we are part of the problems, when we allow highly drugged thugs act as our body guards, dumping legally accepted security agents.”
The traditional ruler also called for the establishment of modern rehabilitation centres for victims of drug abuse in the six geo-political zones of the country and that, when established, the centres should be equipped with necessary facilities and personnel to enable them take care of victims of drug abuse and added that the measure will help ensure that the addicts are rehabilitated and trained in various skills to enable them be reintegrated into the society.
Speaking at the roundtable, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said the Senate is pushing for laws that will tackle headlong, the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria because of its concern for the future of younger generation. Saraki said the National Assembly decided to take decisive action against drug abuse in Nigeria through the roundtable, as part of its moves toward finally tackling the menace.
“There is no sense in calling agencies to fight drugs when we are not funding them. We must make a commitment that we are ready to do away with these problems. We should not be discouraged in the fight, as political leaders, we must have political will in the fight.”
Deputy Governor of Kano State, Hafiz Abubakar, said drugs worth N5.1 billion have been confiscated and burnt in the state and the suspects arrested.
|Sun