The lawmaker representing Kano South in the National Assembly, Senator Kawu Sumaila has alleged that several members of the National Assembly are involved in drug abuse while performing their official duties.
He made this disturbing revelation during a Senate plenary on Tuesday.
While contributing to the debate on a Bill seeking to establish the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation, Sumaila alleged that many of his colleagues not only used hard drugs but also stockpiled them in their constituency offices and homes.
The bill is sponsored by Hanga Rufa’i, senator representing Kano central.
He went further, claiming that a huge number of senators have connections with drug dealers.
“As I am speaking now, most of our offices in our constituencies, most of our political offices in our constituencies, most of our houses, when you go there, you will find out that there is a mountain of drugs and there are drug dealers in our offices and in our houses. All in our houses,” he said.
Mr Sumaila, a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), also said he knows some senior politicians who are supporting drug dealers in the illegal business.
“I can take you to some of the political leaders who are in so many ways contributing or supporting drug abusers in Nigeria. Therefore, Mr. President, we need to be serious.
“If we are talking, we need to understand, we are all one here. We need to fight it from our own side. We need to be serious. Let us go to the test and see who and who are not,” he said.
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He dared his colleagues to swear with the Qur’an and the Bible that they didn’t encourage drug abuse when they were campaigning for election.
“Let us ask ourselves during our campaign, what are we doing with the so-called youth? How many of us can swear with Qur’an or Bible that in any way they are not supporting drug abusers in their constituency?
“I am happy if all of us can swear with Holy Qur’an that they are not in any way in support of drug abusers or encouraging the youths in their constituency to take drugs because they are political,” added.
The senator also recommended conducting drug tests for politicians before contesting elections and assuming political positions.
“And, Mr. President, we need…whether we are allowing this bill to continue to have an agency or we are strengthening NDLEA, we need to create a situation where before contesting elections, or before taking a debate, at whatever in government, at government level, you must go for a drug test.”
