2023: Aspirants Need Psychological Evaluation, Not Drug Test, Psychiatrist Tells NDLEA

A Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Charles Umeh, has urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to consider psychological evaluation for political aspirants instead of running the drug integrity tests.

According to the psychologist, there may be aspirants battling more serious psychological issues that could make giving them political positions a risk and yet pass the drug integrity test of the NDLEA,

Dr. Charles Umeh explained that there are gaps that the suggested drug test does not cover, noting that it may be a weak attempt at making aspiring political office holders accountable.

Recall that the NDLEA Chief Executive, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) had urged political parties to make drug integrity tests part of the screening requirements for aspirants seeking to contest political offices in the upcoming election, ahead of the 2023 election .

Marwa had said, “For politicians, we have long advocated and I take the opportunity again to repeat the advocacy that when they run for public office it demands a lot of responsibility from the person and we need to be certain if he’s a person that is already a drug addict/user who will spend all the money he’s given for public service to consume cocaine and his head will not be in a stable condition to handle the affairs he has been entrusted with.

“For this reason, we have advocated and will continue to advocate that drug tests be conducted for politicians; some state governments like Kano state are already doing this.

“Not just politicians, but government appointees, and I’ve just sent a letter this morning to the National Chairman of APC, who will be the first of the national working committee I wish to pay an advocacy visit on this issue.

“I recommended that drug tests be incorporated in the screening process for all those interested in running for public office; we’ll do the same to the PDP and other important parties.”

But, the consultant psychologist asked to know what the next step will be if an aspirant test positive, stressing that one cannot make a diagnosis without proffering a solution.

Speaking with PUNCH HealthWise in an interview he “asked, “What about the other politicians that have more severe psychopathology issues who may be ruling us.

“You know that there are so many of them that are delusional and they are the ones making the law.

“In their delusional state, they might feel that the whole world is in their pocket.

“They can do whatever like. Why are we not looking at all those ones? The drug test is just a drop in the ocean so let us look more at more important things.

“What if they are not using the drug now because they don’t have the funds and when they get into the office and they start using the funds for drugs. Is it only the funds that is the focus? There are so many gaps in the suggestion.”

 

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