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The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has disclosed that the government is considering mandatory drug testing for people seeking employment in the public sector.
Mr Muntaka, who is also the Member of Parliament for Asawase, said the Ministry of the Interior is preparing an Information Paper for Cabinet to consider the proposed policy.
He said the initiative is intended to prevent the recruitment of people with existing drug-related challenges into the public service.
“Very soon, the Ministry of the Interior will be taking an Information Paper to Cabinet, and one of the things that we are going to do is to ensure that nobody gets into public service until we do a drug test on you,” he said.
The Minister made the disclosure at a ceremony to commission a newly constructed six-unit first-floor classroom block at Sakafiya Islamic Senior High School.
Over 6,000 applicants disqualified
Mr Muntaka said the decision to consider mandatory drug testing was influenced by findings from this year’s security services recruitment exercise.
He disclosed that more than 100,000 applicants underwent medical screening, which, in addition to the usual physical and laboratory examinations, included drug testing and mental health assessments.
According to the Minister, more than 4,000 applicants tested positive for various drugs, while about 2,000 others were disqualified after being assessed to have mental health conditions.
“It is shocking for us this year’s recruitment exercise. When we decided to test for drugs, over 6,000 people were disqualified because they tested positive for one drug or the other,” he said.
“If we hadn’t done this, many of them would have gotten through into the civil service,” he added.
Mr Muntaka said the findings demonstrated the need for stronger measures to address substance abuse among people seeking to enter public service.
He also acknowledged that drug-related problems are not confined to prospective recruits, revealing that some personnel already serving in the security services are also struggling with substance abuse.
“Some of the officers that we have in the service, some already are into drugs. And we are taking steps to help them to get out of it,” he said.
The Interior Minister stressed that government could not knowingly recruit and train individuals who were already abusing drugs.
“We are not going to be allowing new people to be trained when we know you are already on drugs,” Mr Muntaka stated.
Concern over drug use in schools
Mr Muntaka also raised concerns about the growing availability of drugs in secondary schools, warning that some students had begun selling tramadol and other harmful substances to their peers.
He urged headteachers and school authorities to strengthen supervision and pay closer attention to student activities that could expose young people to substance abuse.
“Today, in some of our secondary schools, some of the students themselves are hiding to sell tramadol and other harmful drugs to their colleagues,” he said.
“This is why we are calling on the headmaster to pay attention to these students and what they are doing.”
The Minister further cautioned students against peer pressure and misinformation suggesting that substances such as Indian hemp or tramadol could enhance academic performance.
“Drugs destroy you forever,” he warned.
“What is the use of that exam if by the time you get A-AAAA, you have destroyed yourself?” he asked.
He said drug addiction can be difficult to overcome and may have serious implications for a person’s mental health, future opportunities and overall wellbeing.
Mr Muntaka encouraged students facing poverty and other socioeconomic difficulties not to resort to drugs, stressing that their current circumstances should not determine their future.
“Your future is way ahead of you. Your future is much brighter ahead of you,” he told the students.