A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Niger State, Mr Jonathan Vatsa, has thrown his weight behind suggestions for drug integrity tests for those aspiring to hold public offices, saying if conducted results will shock Nigerians.
Vatsa, a former state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism stated this in Minna, the state capital.
He further suggested that such test should not be restricted to those eying the presidency alone, but also to all those aspiring to all elective and appointive offices.
It would be recalled that the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa, had suggested that drug integrity tests be conducted on those aspiring for public offices.
“Drug integrity test will signal the true change from the usual practice where even drug addicts are elected and appointed into public offices. If you elect a drug addict to public offices, the implication is not only using public money to buy drugs but the fellow is capable of taking decisions that are drug-induced because a drug-addicted mind is always unstable,” the APC state Publicity Secretary argued.
Vatsa maintained that instead of handling the suggestion of the NDLEA Chairman with levity, “I want to advise President Mohammed Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to look into the suggestion to bring sanity to the political system”.
The APC chieftain expressed confidence that if such a suggestion is given the desired attention, the findings on the stability of those in positions of authority in terms of drug integrity tests will shock Nigerians.
He appealed to Nigerians to mobilize and demand drug integrity tests ahead of the 2023 general election while commending the NDLEA Chairman for the suggestion.
“We have lamented over good governance , yet we don’t want to take practical steps like drug integrity test for us to decipher the situation and get to the root of our problems,” he further added.