Public Service applicants to undergo mandatory drug test

•Secretary to the Govern­ment of the Federation, George Akume

The federal government has approved the introduction of mandatory pre-employment drug testing as a requirement for pro­spective applicants into the public service.

Secretary to the Govern­ment of the Federation, George Akume, in a statement yesterday, said the directive is part of ongoing efforts to curb the rising menace of illicit drug use and its attendant consequences on na­tional development and security.

“Consequently, Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Ex­tra-Ministerial Departments/ Parastatals are hereby directed to include mandatory drug test­ing as a core requirement in the recruitment of new personnel.

“In addition, MDAs are to col­laborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (ND­LEA) in the conduct of the tests, in line with established standards and procedures”.

The directive, which was con­tained in a service-wide circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Feder­ation, to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including extra-Ministerial Departments is in line with the determination of the present administration to decisively tackle the menace of drug and substance abuse, and insulate the national workforce from unwholesome practices.

“The directive on the introduc­tion of mandatory pre-employ­ment drug testing to prospective applicants is premised on the con­cern raised by the federal gov­ernment on the alarming rate of drug and substance abuse, partic­ularly among the teeming youth in the country, with a disturbing trend and far-reaching implica­tions for public health, socio-eco­nomic development, workplace productivity, and national secu­rity,” the statement added.

The introduction of mandato­ry drug testing for public service employment comes just weeks after Adewale Adeniyi, Comp­troller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, announced a similar policy requiring compul­sory drug tests for all recruits and serving officers of the agency.

Adeniyi explained that the measure was aimed at ensuring that no recruit enters the service with substance-abuse tendencies that could impair judgment, un­dermine security responsibili­ties, or compromise operational integrity.