Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on drug and substance abuse in the country.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Ahmed Yakassi, on him at Government House, Ilorin, Ahmed said the country is faced with major challenges such as increased crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and insurgency largely induced by drug abuse usually among youths.
The Governor said the right steps must be taken by governments at all levels towards curbing the menace of drug abuse which is spreading across all strata of society like a cancer and must be arrested.
He said drug abuse goes hand in hand with violence, stressing that the most theatres of violence and crime in the world have associated problems of drugs and substance abuse.
The Governor said a tripartite arrangement between governments, regulatory authorities and the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) should be instituted to form platforms to dissuade youths from drug abuse.
Earlier, the National President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Pharmacist Ahmed Yakassai said their association had disclosed that the society in collaboration with government will close major drug markets in the country at the end of this year.
