The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), has stated that there is a need for politicians seeking public offices and students of higher institutions looking for admission to undergo drug integrity tests.
According to a statement by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA boss spoke on Tuesday in Abuja while delivering a paper on ‘Drug abuse and national security: Way forward’.
The statement quoted Marwa to have highlighted the need for politicians to undergo drug tests as elections were approaching in some states and across the country.
“The need for politicians seeking public office and students seeking admission into higher institutions to undergo drug integrity test has again been emphasised by the Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Marwa (retd.),” the statement read.
He said there was the need for people to entrust the management of their treasury and their wellbeing in the hands of politicians with clear minds.
He noted that no public office holder under the influence of drugs would be able to think straight.
Marwa said the same thing applied to students seeking admission into higher institutions.
He said because of the evidence-based strong nexus between drug abuse and security challenges across the country, concerted efforts must be made towards the drug scourge headlong.
He said, “In this regard, we are doing our best in our area of responsibility in the NDLEA. There has been a paradigm shift in our approach to controlled substances
“In the past 100 days, operatives of NDLEA nationwide have carried out non-stop offensive against drug trafficking, traffickers and abusers.”
According to Marwa, the agency will not relax until it shuts down the drug pipeline while also cancelling out the drug demand-supply equation and mop up the cache of illicit substances in the country.