From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has organized public hearing on a bill for a Law to Prohibit Substance Abuse and to Provide Treatment for Substance Abusers and Addicts 2021.
Hon Usman Labaran Shafa, the Chairman, House Committee on Health said that the public hearing was organized in order to get inputs from the stakeholders on the bill.
The lawmaker said that the bill if finally passed into law was aimed to Prohibit substance abuse and provide treatment for substance abusers.
Hon Shafa, who represent Toto/ Gadabuke constituency at the state legislature said that substance abuse has affected the lives of many youths and other Nigerians negatively, hence the need for all hands to be on deck to tackle it.
” This bill is a private member bill sponsored by Hon Abdulaziz Suleiman Danladi of Keffi East constituency and this bill has passed second reading at the floor of the House.
” Mr Speaker, Rt. Hon Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi has directed that public hearing should be organised in order to get public inputs on the bill so that we will get the best out of it.
” We have invited you in order to get your opinion and inputs on the bill so that by the time we passed the bill, it will generally be accepted by the people”He said.
Hon Shafa commended the stakeholders for their inputs and has assured them of the committee readiness to take their inputs into consideration before passing the bill into law.
Also speaking, Chief Medical Director ( CMD) Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital ( DASH) Dr Ikrama Hassan who described the bill as excellent and timely while commending the sponsor of the bill for the initiative which he said would go a long way in addressing a lot of societal problems.
Other health experts and stakeholders, who spoke during the public hearing called for the establishment of rehabilitation and skill acquisition center for drug abusers and addicts hence the need for general awareness of the change whole initiative.
They have also called for more awareness campaign against substance abuse in order to discourage people from drug abuse especially the dealers and end users for the overall development of the country.
Daily Sun reports that the public hearing had in attendance Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria, Nasarawa State branch, Family Health Care Foundation, Ministry of Health, ALGON, Drug Free World Africa, Nasarawa State College of Health Science Technology, Keffi, Hope Foundation, Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria police, NSCDC among others stakeholders.