MARWA CALLS FOR DRUG TEST FOR CORP MEMBERS AS NYSC AND NDLEA COLLABORATES.

The DG, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig. Gen. Mohammed Fadah on Wednesday, 8th June 2022, led his management team on a courtesy visit to the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja. The team was well received and hosted by Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) the Chairman of the National Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to the DG NYSC, Brig.Gen. Mohammed Fadah, The visit was initiated to appreciate NDLEA for past support to the scheme and also ask for further collaboration as NYSC prepares to open the gates of orientation camps across the country.

As part of collaborative efforts, Marwa made a call for drug tests to be carried out on youth corps members in all orientation camps across the country as they report to camp. This he said will dissuade them from engaging in drugs and help in the goal to reduce drug abuse and demand in the country.

According to him, “There is the need for drug test for our youth corps members as they report at the orientation camps. Once they know there’ll be drug test at the camps, they will abstain from it. The whole essence is to ensure help gets to those who test positive early. This is part of our War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, initiative.

“Nigeria has a drug issue. We’re determined to ensure this is changed but we can’t do it alone, we need organisations like NYSC to reduce and control demand for drugs. Nigeria has insufficient rehabilitation and counselling centres. We need counselling centres in the primary health care centres at the grassroots, where we don’t have enough manpower to cover and this is where the young men and women of NYSC come in. We can train them in their numbers to serve as counsellors at the grassroots level because majority of drug users only need counselling.”