As part of effort to ensure that persons vying for elective public offices are of sound mind and in good mental shape, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has mooted the idea of subjecting aspirants to drug integrity tests.
The Chief Executive of the agency Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), broached the subject at the 2022 First Quarter Best Performing Commands Awards ceremony at the Agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
He implored political parties to make drug integrity tests part of the screening requirements for aspirants seeking to contest political offices in the 2023 elections on their platforms..
He disclosed that the anti-narcotic agency had been agitating for all public office holders, including political appointees to undergo drug integrity tests before they would be certified fit to take public offices.
Marwa averred that the test would help ascertain the health and mental status of the politicians and appointees vis-à-vis use of hard drug.
“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” Marwa told journalists
“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.”