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Why NDLEA Seeks Drug Test For Corps Members, Others – Marwa

By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) has given reasons for drug integrity test for youth corps members, prospective couples and others.

Marwa explained the motive in a meeting with the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu, who led top officials of NYSC on a courtesy visit to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to the anti-narcotics agency’s boss, the push is not punitive but to discourage substance abuse and provide early treatment for those who test positive before their condition degenerates to drug dependence and other health challenges.

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“The drug scourge has continued to devastate our kids, families, communities, everywhere, there’s nowhere you go in the country that you don’t have a drug abuse problem”, Marwa said , adding that one in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64, use drugs.

He said that beyond the agency’s efforts to cut off access and availability of these drugs, “we have to work with all stakeholders including NYSC to ensure drastic reduction in the demand for drugs by our youths and one of our strategies to address this is through our drug integrity test, which we’re advocating that NYSC should embrace for corps members”.

Marwa noted that drug supply and demand reduction through preventive measures, as well as counselling and rehabilitation are areas where the two agencies can collaborate.

“One other important area of collaboration is the question of drug integrity tests for youth corps members. It’s a major drug demand reduction effort. The same way we said if you are getting married, both the bride and the groom, should bring a drug free certificate. This is because it is always better to detect drug use early before it gets to addiction which eventually could get to psychiatric problems and it becomes a danger to the user and the society”, he said.

The NDLEA boss said another area of collaboration is the posting of a sizeable number of corps members who studied Guidance and Counselling, Psychology, Nursing and Psychiatry to NDLEA Counselling and Treatment Centres across the country as their place of primary assignment during their one-year national service. This, he said, will enable the corps members acquire knowledge and experience in rehabilitation and psychosocial services.

Earlier, Marwa congratulated the NYSC boss on his recent appointment, even as he described the scheme as a national treasure and a veritable instrument of national unity.

In his response, Brig. Gen. Nafiu described the drug integrity test as a fantastic idea while he promised to study the NDLEA proposal for possible collaboration.

He assured that the scheme will develop a general guideline to post as many corps members with required qualifications to NDLEA commands with counselling and treatment centres across the country.

While appreciating Marwa for the giant strides NDLEA has recorded under his leadership, the NYSC DG noted the existing partnership between the the two institutions, adding that his visit aimed to seek further means to deepen and strengthen the collaboration.

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