NANS Calls for Mandatory Drug Tests for Politicians, Not Just Youth
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to expand its proposed mandatory drug testing policy beyond corps members and intending couples to include political office holders and aspirants.
This appeal follows NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa’s recent push for drug integrity tests aimed at early detection and prevention of substance abuse. Speaking during a meeting with NYSC Director-General Brig.-Gen. Olakunle Nafiu in Abuja, Marwa emphasized the tests are not punitive but preventive, helping individuals receive timely support before addiction sets in.
Responding to the initiative, NANS Vice President for Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Felicia Akinbodunse, applauded the idea but stressed that the focus should not be limited to young Nigerians. She urged that mandatory drug testing be extended to all political aspirants and office holders, referencing past allegations of drug abuse among politicians.
“If young Nigerians are being asked to undergo mandatory drug tests before entering service or marriage,” Akinbodunse stated, “then those who seek to lead the country and make laws must be held to even higher standards.” She called on the NDLEA to partner with the National Assembly to legislate the proposal, asserting that “a clean and drug-free leadership class will inspire confidence and show that no one is above accountability.”
NANS reaffirmed its support for measures combating substance abuse but insisted that the implementation must cut across all sectors of society.
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