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Senator accuses colleagues of drug use

October 16, 2024

By Sani Mu’azu, Abuja

The senator representing Kano South, Kawu Sumaila, yesterday accused his colleagues at the National Assembly of drug abuse in the course of their official duties.

Sumaila made the accusation while contributing to the debate on a Bill to establish the National Institute for Drug Awareness and Rehabilitation during plenary.

The Kano South lawmaker alleged that most of his colleagues possessed hard drugs and kept them in their constituency offices and homes.

He also claimed that majority of the senators had ties with drug dealers.

Sumaila had made a similar allegation on August 14 when he said each senator earned N21 million as monthly take-home pay, a claim his colleagues refuted.

He said: “As I speak now, most of our offices in our constituencies, most of our political offices in our constituencies, most of our houses, when you go there, you will find out that there is a mountain of drugs and there are drug dealers in our offices and in our houses, all in our houses.”

Sumaila also claimed that he knew some senior politicians who were supporting drug dealers to carry out their illegal activities.

“I can take you to some of the political leaders who are in so many ways contributing or supporting drug abusers in Nigeria. Therefore, Mr. President, we need to be serious.

“If we are talking, we need to understand; we are all one here. We need to fight it from our own side. We need to be serious. Let us go for test and see who and who are not,” he said.

The Kano South senator challenged his colleagues to swear by the Qur’an or the Bible that they did not encourage drug abuse during their electioneering campaigns.

The Kano South lawmaker called for drug tests for politicians before allowing them to contest elections and on assumption of political offices.

He said: “Whether we are allowing this Bill to create an agency or we are strengthening the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), we need a situation where, before contesting elections or before taking up an office at whatever level in government, you must go for a drug test.”

Sumaila stressed that Nigeria would not achieve the essence of the Bill until the Red Chamber collaborated with relevant stakeholders to stop drug abuse in the country.

“There is one aspect which we need to look into. Whether we create this agency or strengthen the activities of the NDLEA, we need to do something. We, as politicians; we, as leaders in this country; we, as stakeholders, need to do a lot.

“We all believe that religiously, both Islam and Christianity, even in our traditional religion, drug abuse is prohibited. But, who are those encouraging and supporting it?

“We cannot achieve the intent of this Bill unless and until we all agree that we will put our heads together with relevant stakeholders to stop drug abuse in Nigeria,” he said.

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over the plenary, ruled Sumaila out of order.

The Deputy Senate President said the lawmaker’s comment was not relevant to the debate on the Bill.

“Order 56: Debate upon any motion, Bill or amendment shall be relevant to such motion.

“While we are speaking, while we are contributing, our contributions should be relevant to the subject matter.

“In this case, your contribution is not relevant to the subject matter. I, therefore, rule you out of order,” Barau said.

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