President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday appointed his wife Aisha Buhari and wife of the Vice President Dolapo Osinbajo into the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Abuse.
Former military administrator of Lagos State Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.) is the chairman of the committee.
Explaining why he appointed his wife and Mrs Osinbajo, President Buhari said both women had demonstrated commitment to eradicating drug abuse in the country.
“The appointment of the wives of the president and the vice-president, as well as the chairpersons of the North and South Governors’ Wives Forums as members of this committee, is in recognition of their concerted efforts to the course of eradicating the menace of drug abuse from our society.
“Additionally, the participation of the first ladies is meant to spur further involvement of women and mothers in particular, in view of the significant role they play in parenting and care.
“It is therefore expected that governors’ wives across the federation will take the lead in replicating this intervention structure at the states and local government levels,” the president said.
A ministerial steering committee chaired by the secretary to the government of the federation Boss Mustapha was also inaugurated on Monday.
Speaking while inaugurating both committees at the Presidential Villa, Buhari acknowledged that drug abuse had grown to become a major public health problem in the country, requiring very urgent attention.
He noted that from being a transit nation five years ago, Nigeria had effectively become a user country today.
On the abuse of Codeine syrup, for example, he cited the alarming reports on abuses in states like Kano where up to three million bottles were consumed every 24 hours.
