Senator thinks Nigerian husbands could be responsible for drug abuse problem

Senator Remi Tinubu has challenged Nigerian men to be more responsible for their households as their irresponsibility could be a major cause of the drug abuse problem in the country.

The lawmaker representing Lagos central senatorial district said this at the upper legislative chamber's plenary session on Tuesday, October 10, 2017.

While lawmakers were deliberating on a bill on drug abuse in the country, Senator Tinubu said Nigerian men should show more emotional care towards their families.

She also urged that drug rehabilitation centres should be made available for people with drug troubles to easily seek help for themselves.

She said, "Nigerian men need to do a lot in taking care of their wives and showing care. Who is supposed to take care of the family? If she is not happy, if she is not being emotionally cared for, she would resort to whatever is available and I think Nigerian men have a lot to do in that respect.

"We know that children are good at resorting to a lot of vices. So, for me when it comes to prayers I want to make a suggestion about drug rehabilitation centre.

"I have always advocated and I believe across Nigeria we should have drug rehabilitation centres so that children can quickly check themselves in.

"This is something that is not available so that some children might just stop and decide that 'I'm tired of this life, how do I get help'. Help should be accessible to them."

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The bill was sponsored by lawmaker representing Borno central senatorial district, Senator Baba Kaka Bashir, alongside 40 other lawmakers.

Senator Bashir said the northern part of the country is the most challenged with the drug abuse problem with "more than three million bottles of codeine syrup" consumed daily resulting in meaningless deaths to mostly "many upper and middle class families".

Senators urged for relevant agencies like the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to engage effective measures to battle the problem.