Former Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, has called on government at all levels to take stiffer penalties against scrupulous element who engage in selling of cough syrup despite ban on the substance in the country.
Prof. Yusuf made the call while delivering a keynote address during a one day symposium on drug abuse and moral decadence organized by Initiative for Community Action Against Drug Abuse, held at Yusuf Maitama Sule University Kano.
He equally called on the government not to spare defaulters whether settlers or indigenes as they should be made to face full wrath of the law.
Professor Usman Yusuf expressed worry that bandits, IPOB, Boko Haram, phone snatchers among others perpetrated the crimes under the influence of drugs , while stressing the need for urgent action against the menace of drug abuse as it is ravaging the society.
“Sheikh Gumi and I went into the deep forest to meet with the bandits in states across the north, we saw the bandits were mainly kids between the ages of 10-13 years carrying big guns, smoking marijuana and pushing Pentax”.
“My message is nobody will solve the problem for us. The problem is ours. We have to stand up and solve the problem ourselves.”
“Pentax, Boska, Sudrex, codeine, tramadol are not manufactured here, we know where they were brought from. We must mitigate (cut off) the supply chain”.
Similarly, the former President and Council Member of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Ahmed Yakasai said it is battling with fake and hard drugs in four markets namely Sabon Gari, Ariaria, Onitisha and Idumata markets, hence the need to open a Central Wholesale Centre to checkmate menace of drug abuse .
He added that some individuals were resisting the plan and relocation of the drug sellers to the CWC in Kano.
Ahmed Yakasai however called on students and other participants at the symposium to say no to drug abuse as it does no good to them, but rather destroys their future.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Professor Mukhtar Kurawa said the institution has zero tolerance for drug abuse and as a preventive measures subjects it students to series of orientation on drug abuse upon entrance to the institution.
ABDULLAHI JALALUDDEEN
