Senator: Some politicians fuelling drug abuse | Their homes are storage for narcotics

Kawu Sumaila, senator representing Kano south, says some unnamed politicians are fuelling drug abuse in the country.

Sumaila spoke on Tuesday on the floor of the senate, while contributing to a debate on the general principles of a bill seeking to establish a national institute for drug awareness and rehabilitation.

The bill is sponsored by Hanga Rufa’i, senator representing Kano central.

The Kano south senator said some of the houses of lawmakers and constituency offices are used to stockpile drugs by their workers.

The chair of the committee on sports said politicians and appointees should be made to go through compulsory drug tests before elections and appointments.

“We need to create a situation where before conducting elections or before taking appointments, you must go for a drug test,” he said.

“As I am speaking now, most of our officers in our constituencies, most of our political officers, most of our houses, when you go there you will find that out there is a mountain of drugs.

“There are drug dealers in our offices and our houses.

“I am immune to talk, I am in the chamber of the senate and I can take you to some of the political leaders who are in so many ways contributing to drug abuse in Nigeria.

“Mr President, we need to be serious.”

At this point, Barau Jibrin, deputy senate president, cited order 36 of the standing rules of the upper legislative chamber and ruled him out of order.

“Your contribution is not relevant to the subject matter,” Jibrin, who was presiding over plenary, ruled.

Earlier, Abdul Ningi, senator representing Bauchi central, said if it takes 10 agencies to curb the drug menace in the country, Nigeria should establish them.