Gov Ahmed asks Buhari to declare state of emergency

Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on drug and substance abuse in the country;

Ahmed spoke during a courtesy visit by the National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharmacist Ahmed Yakassi, at Government House, Ilorin.

Ahmed said the country is faced with major challenges such as a spike in crimes like kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and insurgency, largely induced by abuse of drugs usually among youths.

The Governor said the right steps must be taken by governments at all levels to curb the menace of drug abuse which is spreading across all strata of society like a cancer and must be arrested before it becomes malignant.

Violence

Alhaji Ahmed said drug abuse leads to violence, stressing that the most theatres of violence and crime in the world have associated problems of drugs and substance abuse.

The Governor said a tripartite arrangement between governments, regulatory authorities and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) should be instituted to form platforms to dissuade youths from drug abuse, especially the misuse of over the counter and prescription drugs.

According to him, “the level to which our youths have imbibed this habit of drug abuse is getting to an alarming rate at all levels; at the basic education level, at the secondary level, at the tertiary level, it is a very serious situation.

“It will require all hands to be on deck. Everybody will be involved in advocacy and in ensuring that all areas that contribute to the use of drugs are properly handled to give us a better society”.

Improvement

Governor Ahmed said the administration will improve the numbers of PSN in the state and ensure proper drug dispensation to users in the state hospitals.

Earlier, Yakassai said his association was engaged in fighting fake and counterfeit drugs in the country and ensuring that there is sanity in drug administration in the country.

Nigeria is fighting a debilitating drug war; with young people sniffing and ingesting all sorts of mixtures just to get high. The drug pandemic has led to a song titled 'Science Student' by pop sensationOlamide.

Kwara Governor Ahmed recently signed a bill banning the sale and consumption of alcohol in certain parts of the State.