Couples advised to do drug test before marriage

Governors’ Wives Forum NGWF, said though the closure of schools in the North cannot be sustained, hence children should not be exposed to danger. The newly elected Chairperson of the NGWF, Wife of Kaduna State Governor, Architect Hadiza El-Rufai, said there should be a long term strategy to addressing kidnapping of children from schools which is ending banditry. She said the priority for now is to protect the children while alternative learning is organised for them. Kidnapping of children from school is a source of concern to all of us especially, in a country where we have so many Children out of school but you talking about the short term measure, as a short term basis. ” I think it is what the state governments are already doing like in kaduna state and recently in zamfara state,theyve closed all the schools that is a short term solution but it cannot be sustained that way because we must get our children to school but as it is now it is important to keep our children safe” “So it doesn’t make sense to say that because you want your children educated you put them at risk meanwhile I believe that the government is doing all it can to see that these bandits are defeated once and for all” The Vice Chairperson of the Forum, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the wife of Kwara State Governor said the aim of the interactive session was to bring journalists on board about the agenda of the Forum in the next one year. The two focal areas for the Northern Governors’ Wives Forum NGWF are Gender Based Violence and tackling of Drug Abuse in the 19 northern forums.

Chief Executive of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd) has stated the need for pre-marital drug test as a key factor to a stable home. The NDLEA boss spoke at a conference organised by a Non Governmental Organization ‘Coal to Diamond Support Network for young adults’ in Abuja Represented at the conference by, a Principal Staff Officer on Drug Demand Reduction in NDLEA Mr. Shehu Dankolo, the NDLEA boss said, substance use has been known not only to destroy marriages but equally lead to health problems, morbidity, injuries, violence, and death. He said most often, the physical, psychological and social consequences of drug use are obvious and disturbing. He said, “if would be couples choose to undergo HIV and genotype tests before marriage without any law compelling them, they should equally consider drug test as critical to their wellbeing and stability of their home.” Wife of the NDLEA boss Hajia Munirat Marwa urged youths preparing for wedding to take drug test as part of their preparations, explaining that there is a difference between wedding and marriage. “The wedding as we all know it is a short time event while marriage is intended for a lifetime. As such, the conference has come at the right time when couples are putting more importance and emphasis on the wedding festivities rather than the marriage itself.”she said. Other notable speakers at the conference include wife of former Vice President Namadi Sambo, Hajiya Amina Namadi Sambo, President of the Group, Bilkisu Mohammed and the keynote speaker, Alhaji Sa’id Takuma who all emphasised the need for proper counseling for would be couples to safeguard their marriages and future.