Minister urges National Assembly to pass law treating drug addiction as health issue

The Minister of Well being and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, on Tuesday, referred to as on the Nationwide Meeting to go laws recognising drug habit as a well being problem.

He made this name as a part of a broader advice to the Nationwide Meeting to undertake a humane method to supporting victims of medication.

Mr Pate, who was represented by the Director, Hospital Companies, Ministry of Well being and Social Welfare, Jimoh Salaudeen, made this name through the second version of the Legislative Discussion board in Abuja on Tuesday.

The Nationwide Human Rights Fee (NHRC) organised the second version of the annual Legislative Discussion board on drug hurt discount, safety of digital and civic areas and secure college initiative as a part of the actions to mark Worldwide Human Rights Day.

NHRC organsied the discussion board in collaboration with the European Union (EU), the Worldwide Institute for Democracy and Electoral Help (IDEA) with the help of The Rule of Legislation and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme.

“Nigerian authorized framework has been primarily centered on the prosecution of drug traffickers beneath the NDLEA Act CAP N30, which has usually ignored the plight of a drug person as an individual in want of medical care. I due to this fact name upon the tenth Nationwide Meeting to assist Nigeria make a historic step in the direction of a extra humane method by passing a legislative framework that helps drug hurt discount as an evidence-based public well being intervention,” Mr Pate stated.

He stated such an method would complement the NDLEA Act and be sure that well being care employees can present care with out concern of arrest.

He stated it will additionally be sure that people affected by drug habit are handled with dignity and respect.

Additionally talking on the occasion, the Government Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, stated the fee has the mandate to overview insurance policies and draft payments that align with human rights rules.

“This Legislative Discussion board is, due to this fact, a strategic initiative that allows us to fulfil this mandate. By partaking with lawmakers and stakeholders, we goal to combine human rights norms into the legislative course of, finally selling a tradition of respect for human rights in Nigeria.”

The occasion was attended by senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Authorized Issues, Adeniyi Adegbonmire. He inspired individuals to make sure that the discussion board was not merely a chat present.

Different friends on the occasion included a senator, Rufai Hanga; Majority Chief of the Home of Representatives, Julius Ihonvbere, representing Speaker Abbas Tajudeen; members of Borno and Cross Rivers States Homes of Meeting, Mohammed Gajiram and Davies Etta, respectively; a consultant of the UNICEF, Godwin Odo, and Nationwide Chairman, Drug Hurt Discount Advocacy Community Nigeria (DHRAN), Aniedi Akpan.

Name to de-stigmatise drug customers

Throughout a session on Tuesday, an professional and researcher in Nigeria’s Drug Hurt Discount Programme, Habit Remedy, Nsidibe Essein proposed that drug abuse needs to be handled as a well being problem or perhaps a psychological sickness. He additionally cautioned in opposition to the stigmatisation of people to encourage them to hunt assist.

“Many individuals moralise the issue that’s related to drug use after which stigmatise the individuals who use medicine and if you take a look at the state of affairs now through which substance use or drug use is a public well being drawback,” he stated.

One other panelist, Treasured Anyanwu, an advocate in drug coverage and hurt discount sector, warned in opposition to the illegal detention, arbitrary arrest and raiding of the homes of drug customers.

Safety of digital and civic areas

On the difficulty of the safety of digital and civic areas, the panelists all agreed that nationwide safety shouldn’t be a justification for limiting the rights of people.

A lawyer, Mojirayo Ogunalo harassed that limiting human rights beneath the pretext of nationwide safety ought to solely be allowed solely when there’s a actual menace throughout a state of emergency.

Government Director of Areas for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, supporting the argument, stated, “I feel international locations must consciously restrict the scope of the applying of nationwide safety.”

Gbenga Sesan, Government Director, Paradigm Initiative, referred to as for a launch of #EndSars Protesters who’re nonetheless detained.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that 15 protesters are nonetheless detained in Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre and Ikoyi Medium Safety Correctional Centre in Lagos, three years after the #EndSARS Protest.

Protected college initiative

Talking on the challenges confronted by specialists who advocate for the secure area initiative, Training Advisor, Plan Worldwide, Tobi Ransome, stated there are data gaps amongst stakeholders within the training sector and implementation of insurance policies.

PREMIUM TIMES additionally reported that the federal government had allotted N112 billion to make sure security and inclusive areas for kids within the subsequent three years.

Regardless of this, civil rights activist Abiola Akiode famous that security of colleges goes past safety, protecting well being, social and financial components within the studying setting.

“Among the challenges that we’re seeing over time has been infrastructure, security, overcrowded school rooms, dilapidated buildings, lack of primary facilities like clear water, bogs, and all these really additionally make college students way more weak and it’ll additionally have an effect on their security,” he stated.

Suggestions

Among the suggestions from the periods embrace a name for the repeal of the Harmful Drug Act.

For the safety of digital and civic areas, individuals really useful localised domesticated working system, a centralised database system, a overview of archaic legal guidelines like vagrancy and coaching of judges and regulation enforcement officers.

READ ALSO: Protesters storm Nationwide Meeting over Tinubus tax reform payments

Suggestions for the Protected Faculty initiative embrace the supply of secure college infrastructure, enhancement of safety methods particularly in high-risk areas, guaranteeing extreme sanctions for offenders and bettering lecturers’ welfare to keep away from falling sufferer to aiding insecurity in colleges.