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House of Representatives Investigates drug, alcohol, tobacco abuse on Nigeria’s economy, public health

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The House of Representatives has inaugurated an ad hoc committee to investigate the prevalence, regulation, and impact of drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and related substance abuse on Nigeria’s economy and public health.

The committee, chaired by Hon. Oluwatimehin Adelegbe, was constituted following a resolution by the House to address the growing menace of drug abuse across the country.

In a statement, Hon. Adelegbe said the committee has been tasked with examining the root causes of substance abuse, identifying institutional weaknesses, regulatory lapses, and enforcement gaps, and recommending practical measures to strengthen national drug control mechanisms.

He noted that the initiative aims to promote public health, enhance enforcement systems, and protect citizens from the harmful effects of substance abuse.

“In view of the urgency attached to this mandate, the committee will engage relevant stakeholders and Nigerians to identify the underlying causes of the problem and propose sustainable solutions,” Adelegbe stated.

He further called on citizens to submit detailed memoranda containing their concerns, recommendations, and proposed interventions, which will form part of the consultative process to guide legislative action.

According to him, key stakeholders invited to participate in the probe include the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Federal Ministries of Health and Justice, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN).

Also expected to make submissions are major pharmaceutical companies such as Emzor, Fidson, May & Baker, Juhel, and Dana, as well as representatives from the tobacco and alcohol industries including Nigerian Breweries Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, and International Distillers Ltd.

Law enforcement agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Nigerian Correctional Service have also been invited, alongside professional bodies like the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), and Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN).

Other stakeholders include the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), Civil Society Network on Substance Abuse (CSNSSA), Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON), National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), religious and community leaders, as well as international development partners such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and UNICEF.

Adelegbe assured that the committee would work diligently to ensure far-reaching recommendations that will curb substance abuse and safeguard the well-being of Nigerians.

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POLITICS: Wike-led PDP Faction Takes Over Party Secretariat In Oyo

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Members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, have taken over the secretariat of the party in Oyo State.

The secretariat, located in the Molete area of Ibadan, was in the custody of the faction loyal to Governor Seyi Makinde of the state until Thursday when the members loyal to Wike took over the premises.

DAILY POST gathered that the PDP members stormed the secretariat on Thursday and occupied the premises with hundreds of members of the party in attendance.

PDP chairman in the state, Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso, confirmed the development to DAILY POST.

Akinoso in a telephone conversation with DAILY POST on Thursday, insisted that the real owners have taken over the premises.

He said, “It is true. It is not faction. It is PDP. We have taken over the premises. It was in the morning. We were there in the morning. We just left the premises. We are now in control. We have taken over the premises.” .…For more, Complete your reading.

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POLITICS: Foreign Recognition Won’t Secure Re-election – ADC Tells Tinubu

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has told President Bola Tinubu that foreign recognition will not secure him another term in office, insisting that Nigerians will judge his administration by its performance, not by diplomatic gestures from other world leaders.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the opposition party reacted to the Presidency’s celebration of a purported letter from United States President Donald Trump to Tinubu.

The ADC said presenting the letter as an endorsement of Tinubu’s administration was misleading, stressing that diplomatic correspondence between world leaders is a normal part of international relations.

“The Presidency’s attempt to present President Donald Trump’s letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as though it were a referendum on the state of the nation is not correct,” the party said.

According to the ADC, countries cooperate, leaders exchange views and letters regularly, adding that such communication does not amount to an endorsement of a government’s performance.

The party accused the Tinubu administration of being desperate for international validation instead of focusing on solving Nigeria’s challenges.

“It is apparent that this administration is desperate to seize upon any gesture of international recognition as proof of success at home,” the statement said.

The ADC maintained that “a letter from a foreign president, however well-intentioned, cannot substitute for the verdict of the Nigerian people.”

It added that the true measure of any government is not what foreign leaders say about it, but what citizens experience daily.

The opposition party argued that Trump’s letter had not changed the reality facing millions of Nigerians, especially those affected by insecurity.

“For the millions of Nigerians still living with the consequences of this government’s failures, President Trump’s communication changes nothing. It did not say that insecurity has been overcome or that Nigerians can once again travel freely, farm safely and sleep without fear,” the party stated.

The ADC also pointed to the continued captivity of hundreds of women and children in parts of Borno State and Kaiama in Kwara State, while many communities in Benue and other parts of the country still live in constant fear because of insecurity.

The party further noted that, despite the Presidency’s celebration of the letter, the United States Department of State has not changed its travel advisory for Nigeria.

According to the ADC, several Nigerian states remain under Level 3 and Level 4 travel advisories, with American citizens still being urged to reconsider or avoid travel because of crime, terrorism, kidnapping and civil unrest.

“We therefore wonder how correspondence from a government that designates several Nigerian states as ‘Do Not Travel’ areas can be regarded as an endorsement,” the party said.

It argued that the travel advisory shows the international assessment of Nigeria’s security situation remains different from the image the Presidency is trying to project.

The ADC said Nigerians are more concerned about their safety than diplomatic exchanges between presidents.

“The daily reality of Nigerians is shaped not by diplomatic correspondence, but by the guarantee that they can go about their lives without falling victim to violent crime or terrorism,” it said.

The party stressed that Trump’s letter was simply communication between two presidents and “does not amount to an endorsement of this government’s overall performance.”

It urged the Tinubu administration to focus less on celebrating diplomatic courtesies and more on delivering measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerians.

“Ultimately, Nigerians will not judge this government by the letters it receives from foreign capitals. They will judge it by whether .…For more, Complete your reading.

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