The Federal Government has introduced a mandatory pre-employment drug testing as a requirement for prospective applicants into the Public Service.
This, it explained was necessary to curb the rising menace of illicit drug use and its attendant consequences on national development and security.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the Director, Information & Public Relations,
Segun Imohiosen, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Imohiosen said the directive, which was contained in a service-wide circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including extra-Ministerial Departments was in line with the determination of the present Administration to decisively tackle this menace of drug and substance abuse, and insulate the national workforce from unwholesome practices.
The Circular directed the Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments/Parastatals to include mandatory drug testing as a core requirement in the recruitment of new personnel.
In addition, it urged MDAs to collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the conduct of the tests, in line with established standards and procedures.
The statement explained that the directive on the introduction of mandatory pre-employment drug testing to prospective applicants was premised on the concern raised by the Federal Government on the alarming rate of drug and substance abuse, particularly among the teeming youth in the country, with a disturbing trend and far-reaching implications for public health, socio-economic development, workplace productivity, and national security.
