In my usual curiosity I asked why they were sharing a bottle of soft drink. Everyone started laughing at my question. Well, I wouldn’t blame them because it was obvious I was JJC and had no inclination to whatsoever was happening.
The same scenario played out the next day, the next day. So
on the fourth day, while it was about to pass me again, I grabbed it and drank.
The next five minutes answered the question I’ve been asking these guys for the
past few days; literally, I was floating.
The next week I came to class prepared to find out what was
in the drink because no one even dared to tell me the name, I came to class
with an empty bottle and when it was to pass me, I poured a little quantity in
my bottle and continued the lecture, at the end of the day, sitting alone in my
room, I tasted it again then gradually the effect came on me, dizziness, sleepy
and weakness of the bone. I woke up the next day more determined to find out
what was that I had. Lo and behold it was codeine.
So I confronted some guys in my class, why would you drink
something so powerful that it makes you lose all consciousness and guess what
was the reply? That I am missing the point, the loss of consciousness is one
but the better parts is the highness and guess what again? Because I called it
codeine it shows how much of a JOHN I am. That’s CODA for short, you have to
mix it with energy drinks and throw in raphenol, they told me.
I have never seen these guys’ display such brilliance
anywhere before. I mean these are the dullards of the class but what was coming
out of their mouth that day really fascinated me as it also scared the hell out
of me. Now imagine if these guys at such brilliant pace in all their lectures
and assignments.
On May 1 2018, the federal government through the ministry
of health announced the ban on any cough syrup containing codeine or intake of
codeine in its entirety. The move expectedly generated mixed reactions from the
Nigerians. With keen interest, I have been following the development and of
course will herein lend a voice.
In as much as I wish to applaud the government for what some
believed to be a right decision, I would like to pitch my tent on the other
side of the fence. You ask why? The reasons are simple.
First let’s all understand how drug addiction works. If
codeine really is the new cocaine for many Nigerians especially youths in the
Northern part of the country, then the announcement on the ban wouldn’t deter
any addict from resorting to the use of some other substance. Of course there
are other readily-available drugs in the Nigerian market. There’s sniffing of
methylated spirit, leather polish, lizard excreta, fumes from pit latrine,
gasoline, tippex, and rubber solution. Others are nail polish cleaner, local
concoctions called goskolo and a natural stimulant plant called zakani. Oh,
let’s not forget the refuse and dung of animals.
In my opinion, I think if the government really wishes to
stop a problem, she ought to find the root cause, uproot it then get help for
those already affected by the issue. We don’t even have enough facilities to
cater for addicts and those in the process of rehabilitation.
Even when Alhaji Ahmed Yakasai Fpsn, the President of
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria had on several occasions called the attention
of the current Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole (December,
2015), current Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon Yakubu Dogara
(January, 2016), the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alhaji
Muhammadu Buhari (April, 2016), the public (August, 2016) and the Senate
President Rt. Hon Bukola Saraki (October, 2017) to the chaotic nature of the
drug distribution system, and the need to implement the National Drug
Distribution Guidelines (NDDGs) without further ado and later more specifically
on the abuse issues. There were also other calls to Governors and traditional
rulers that appeared to have garnered momentary efforts but not on the scale of
the #BBCAfricaEye report. His efforts were indeed the 'strikes' on the wall
that allowed the avalanche that we now see.
In an August 3, 2017 article by Ofoyeju Mitchell, the Head
Public Affairs of the NDLEA she claims that the agency is set to construct a
modern rehabilitation center in Abuja and some other parts of the country. In
the article published in The Nation newspaper, she maintained that this
decision was unveiled during the grand finale event marking the 2017
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
So, if we don’t have a proper rehabilitation center in
Nigeria, how and where are these addicts supposed to get help? Well, because of
the sensitivity of this issue, I called up some “supposedly” rehabilitation
centers in Nigeria, some on my Introduction dropped the call and switched off their devices while
some others are simply house or road reconstruct contractors
Consequently, the ban on codeine announcement only portrays
how incompetent the Ministry of Health is and whoever advises the federal
government on issues of health, addiction and youths. There was no consultative
forum; no major stakeholder was involved, no laws in place to help or even back
the pronouncement. How much more of a joke could this government be? We have
the senate drawing up framework to make sure the argument holds up in our
courts;
Someone might argue why they should have to wait for the
senate but why won’t they? The data generated by the senate which shows that 3
million bottles are consumed in the North alone is what is still in use and
being quoted. Now, multiply that with the number of youths in this most
populous black nation. If we are working with the data from the senate, it then
means the ministry has no data on the people. If this is the case, how then is
it supposed to protect these addicts, rehabilitate them or even make policies
that will affect their lives positively. We are talking numbers and these
numbers are human beings, the human capital investment of a nation hoping to be
drug free. There are vulnerable groups, the most affected set of persons and in
this case the Injecting, inhaling, consuming Drug users constitutes such a
large number, 2016 statistics shows that 40% of Nigerian youths engage in
substance abuse
In a chat with Diane Kelechi Lawrence, the CEO of Guiding
Light Foundation Pipeline, who oversees a rehabilitation center located in a
Satellite Village at Oyigbo, Rivers State Nigeria, she argued that drug addiction
rehabilitation is quite expensive with an average of 300 hundred thousand for a
start at a private rehab center. She said most addicts can’t afford this and
asked Nigerian government to work out framework to institute a rehab center at
least in every local government in Nigeria to ease the situation.
Now, what changed? BBC Africa screened sweet, sweet codeine
a documentary on the impact of Cough Syrups containing Codeine.
Away from that, after the announcement the governor of a
state in the North said that they have not received any directions in that
regard? Excuse you? So how did it happen? No alternatives put in place, the
major stakeholders are not away and yet you wish to achieve result? Somehow, I
feel this is one of those magic moment action a desperate government puts up to
throw the scent and play on the people, fortunately it always works, Jonathan
did it with the signing of same sex marriage (prohibition) act, in Jan 2014 and
here we are again ban on codeine in 2018 to take our mind away that it was
within that same period that the president went for medical checkup again after
the mess at the US. He travels and then makes one big announcement and then
come back to his Nigeria quiet life, like a sheep led to its slaughter,
Nigerians follow to their deaths.
I propose necessary solution to this menace. All
stakeholders need to facilitate a continuous discussion on Drug/ substance
abuse with a view to nipping the menace in the bud. Former Director General of
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC),
Professor Dora Akunyili God bless her soul did well with NAFDAC and was ready
to defend her stand, she set motions, institutions and teams to help her
achieve her dream. She placed Nigeria back in the good books. Mr Adewole should
borrow a page out of her many books. Banning codeine without support groups,
rehabilitation centers and acknowledging the existence of these people is a
sham and a ploy from the real issue. When people say we need a holistic
approach I just smile because that term is beginning to lose its value same way
we threw around restructuring, same away we used diversification.
It is pertinent that we also understand that highness comes
in different packages and like we say in Igbo land, “na ala adighi nma bu uru
ndi nze” meaning someone else’s misfortune is another’s fortune. So who is the
unfortunate one here, Nigerians or the government?
Introduction
Ekene is OAP @coalcity929fm Advocate@afrikaYM
Fellow@YALINetwork SDGs Champion & Social media campaigner #Activista with
7 Major honors & 3 Fellowship awards
Codeine ban: This Table you’re shaking…By Ekene Odigwe
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Rating:
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