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

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, on Tuesday, called on the National Assembly to pass legislation recognising drug addiction as a health challenge.

He made this call as part of a broader recommendation to the National Assembly to adopt a humane approach to supporting victims of drugs.

Mr Pate, who was represented by the Director, Hospital Services, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Jimoh Salaudeen, made this call during the second edition of the Legislative Forum in Abuja on Tuesday.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) organised the second edition of the annual Legislative Forum on drug harm reduction, protection of digital and civic spaces and safe school initiative as part of the activities to mark International Human Rights Day.

NHRC organsied the forum in collaboration with the European Union (EU), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) with the support of The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Programme.

“Nigerian legal framework has been primarily focused on the prosecution of drug traffickers under the NDLEA Act CAP N30, which has often overlooked the plight of a drug user as a person in need of medical care. I therefore call upon the 10th National Assembly to help Nigeria make a historic step towards a more humane approach by passing a legislative framework that supports drug harm reduction as an evidence-based public health intervention,” Mr Pate said.

He said such an approach would complement the NDLEA Act and ensure that health care workers can provide care without fear of arrest.

He said it would also ensure that individuals suffering from drug addiction are treated with dignity and respect.

Also speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, said the commission has the mandate to review policies and draft bills that align with human rights principles.

“This Legislative Forum is, therefore, a strategic initiative that enables us to fulfil this mandate. By engaging with lawmakers and stakeholders, we aim to integrate human rights norms into the legislative process, ultimately promoting a culture of respect for human rights in Nigeria.”

The event was attended by senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Adeniyi Adegbonmire. He encouraged participants to ensure that the forum was not merely a talk show.

Other guests at the event included a senator, Rufai Hanga; Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Julius Ihonvbere, representing Speaker Abbas Tajudeen; members of Borno and Cross Rivers States Houses of Assembly, Mohammed Gajiram and Davies Etta, respectively; a representative of the UNICEF, Godwin Odo, and National Chairman, Drug Harm Reduction Advocacy Network Nigeria (DHRAN), Aniedi Akpan.

Some state and national legislators with the ES

Call to de-stigmatise drug users

During a session on Tuesday, an expert and researcher in Nigeria’s Drug Harm Reduction Programme, Addiction Treatment, Nsidibe Essein proposed that drug abuse should be treated as a health challenge or even a mental illness. He also cautioned against the stigmatisation of individuals to encourage them to seek help.

“Many people moralise the problem that is associated with drug use and then stigmatise the people who use drugs and when you look at the situation now in which substance use or drug use is a public health problem,” he said.

Another panelist, Precious Anyanwu, an advocate in drug policy and harm reduction sector, warned against the unlawful detention, arbitrary arrest and raiding of the houses of drug users.

Protection of digital and civic spaces

On the issue of the protection of digital and civic spaces, the panelists all agreed that national security should not be a justification for restricting the rights of individuals.

A lawyer, Mojirayo Ogunalo stressed that restricting human rights under the pretext of national security should only be allowed only when there is a real threat during a state of emergency.

Executive Director of Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, supporting the argument, said, “I think countries need to consciously limit the scope of the application of national security.”

Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative, called for a release of #EndSars Protesters who are still detained.

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

Safe school initiative

Speaking on the challenges faced by experts who advocate for the safe space initiative, Education Advisor, Plan International, Tobi Ransome, said there are knowledge gaps among stakeholders in the education sector and implementation of policies.

PREMIUM TIMES also reported that the government had allocated N112 billion to ensure safety and inclusive spaces for children in the next three years.

Despite this, civil rights activist Abiola Akiode noted that safety of schools goes beyond security, covering health, social and economic factors in the learning environment.

“Some of the challenges that we are seeing over time has been infrastructure, safety, overcrowded classrooms, dilapidated buildings, lack of basic amenities like clean water, toilets, and all these actually also make students much more vulnerable and it will also affect their safety,” he said.

Recommendations

Some of the recommendations from the sessions include a call for the repeal of the Dangerous Drug Act.

For the protection of digital and civic spaces, participants recommended localised domesticated operating system, a centralised database system, a review of archaic laws like vagrancy and training of judges and law enforcement officers.

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Recommendations for the Safe School initiative include the provision of safe school infrastructure, enhancement of security systems especially in high-risk areas, ensuring severe sanctions for offenders and improving teachers’ welfare to avoid falling victim to aiding insecurity in schools.