The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II says all public officers and traditional rulers should be compelled by law to undergo a drug test.

Highlights: Speaking in Kano at the Senate roundtable on drug abuse, on Monday, Sanusi said it was hypocritical of leaders to campaign against drug use but allow their “bodyguards and thugs” use it inconsequentially.

“I suggest that Ministers, Governors and Traditional Rulers should go for a drug test because when youth understand that they cannot be Governors, Ministers or Senators if they are drug addicts, they will be into their senses,” Sanusi said.

“I am ready to submit myself for the drug test.

“The country is facing a great danger because the fight against drug abuse has to be taken seriously if we are to succeed.

“We are deceiving ourselves if we don’t believe that we are part of the problem.

“Today, it is better to be a drug baron on the payroll of a political leader than to be a legally recognised security man, which means we must clean our acts before trying to achieve anything.”

What we think: Drug abuse is really a serious problem in Nigeria; we would be lying to ourselves if we state that the menace is reducing.

Emir Sanusi has therefore made a good point – argue with me – in the light of the fact that more often than not, we see these political office holders in groups of drug abusers and even using the drugs themselves.

Also, these are people who should be making laws and enforcing same in the country and we know what happens when these people do not understand that drug abuse interferes with the power of judgement, has adverse social, financial and health effects.

In a bit, these drugs reduce physical and psychological sensitivity, resulting in a loss of contact with reality, sense of euphoria, reduces fear, tension and anxiety.

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram