The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has asked political parties to include drug integrity testing as part of the screening process for candidates wishing to run for various political seats on their platforms in the 2023 elections.
Brigadier-General Buba Marwa, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, made the remark in answer to questioning from media last week Wednesday at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja. He said,
“For politicians, we have long advocated and I take the opportunity again to repeat the advocacy that when they run for public office, it demands a lot of responsibility from the person and we need to be certain if he’s a person that is already a drug addict/user who will spend all the money he’s given for public service to consume cocaine and his head will not be in a stable condition to handle the affairs he has been entrusted with,”
“For this reason, we have advocated and will continue to advocate that drug test be conducted for politicians; some state governments like Kano State is already doing this.
“Not just politicians, but government appointees, and I’ve just sent a letter this morning to the National Chairman of APC, who will be the first of the national working committee I wish to pay an advocacy visit on this issue.
I recommended that drug tests be incorporated in the screening process for all those interested in running for public office; we’ll do the same to the PDP and other important parties.”
“Statistics from the first quarter (Q1) report indicated that our performance level has not dropped off,” said the NDLEA chief. “Indeed, achieving 3,539 arrests, 677 convictions, and seizures of 65,916 kg of drugs in three months is no mean feat.
“Little wonder our performance continually earns the agency deserved accolades from the right quarters within the country as well as from abroad, especially from international partners and peers.
“While we have not yet achieved the utopia of a drug-free society, the results showed that we are getting it right.”
Should NDLEA Carry On With The Mandatory Drug Test For Presidential Aspirants?
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