Senate seeks to establish agency for mental health

Date: 2019-11-27

The Senate is seeking the establishment of an agency to cater for mental health and substance abuse.

The Senate has considered a bill seeking to establish the National Agency for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

The agency, when established, shall be charged with effective management of mental health and psychosocial disabilities in Nigeria.

Sponsor of the bill, Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central), in his lead debate, said the bill among others, also seeks to criminalize abuse of persons with mental health and psychological disabilities.

According to him, if passed into law, the bill will decriminalize substance abuse disorder and increase funding for mental health and psycho-social programmes.

Making a case for the bill which scaled second reading on the floor, Oloriegbe said: "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 50 million people are suffering from some sort of mental illness in Nigeria.

"As the seventh-largest country in the world, Nigeria has Africa's highest rate of depression, and ranks fifth in the work frequency of suicide."

According to Oloriegbe, there is no mental health law in Nigeria besides the Regional Lunacy Law of 1958 which, he noted, violates fundamental Human Rights of persons with mental and psychosocial disabilities.

The lawmaker, therefore, advocated that persons living with mental health and make special provisions for them in all spheres of their lives".

Oloriegbe said if passed into law by the National Assembly, the bill would protect persons with mental and substance abuse disorder from discrimination, victimization and unfair treatment by employers, academic institutions and other agencies.

Contributing to the debate, Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South) said as a way of reducing cases of substance abuse, the Federal government must ban the importation of drugs and substances into the country.

The Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, said in the United States of America, a lot of cases of gun violence and killings were carried out by patients of mental health disabilities.

He warned that in order to avoid such happenings in Nigeria, government must swing into action by identifying and caring for people with mental health challenges.

Adam Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central) while supporting the bill said, "the incidence of drug abuse is very alarming. No zone is excluded.

"There is need for a commission to be established to take care of people with mental illness."

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, after consideration of the bill, referred same to the Committee on Health for further legislative work.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Ilorin Anchor Men And Women     Bashirat Bola Bello     Kawu     Abdulazeez Uthman     Salihu S. Yaru     Olokoba     Aliyu Sabi     Muhammed Aliyu     Muhammad Ghali Alaaya     Segun Abifarin     Quarry Royal Valley     Olatunde Oyeyiola     Yusuf Babatunde Abdulwahab     Samuel Adaramola     Durbar     Christopher Tunji Ayeni     MINILS     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Aliyu Muyideen     Theophilus Oyebiyi     Col. Ibrahim Taiwo     Rabiu Kwankwaso     Folajimi Aleshinloye     Olusegun Adeniyi     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Olanrewju Okanlawon Musa     Mahee Abdulkadir     Radio SBS     Abdulmumini Jawondo     Tafida Of Kaiama     Azeez Salawu     Muhammadu Buhari     Gbemisola Oguntimehin     Suraj Tunji Oyewale     Is\'haq Modibbo Kawu     Idris Amosa Oladipo Saidu     Okedare     Offorjama     Admiralty Villa     Salau Kabiru Abdullahi     Afonja     PPS     Ndama Al-hassan     National Party Of Nigeria     Belgore     Galland Marcias     Oloyede     Quareeb Islamic Association     Harmony Holdings     Riskat Opakunle     Abdulganiyu AbdulAzeez     Ibrahim Akaje     Ekiti     Kwara University Of Education     Ibrahim Gambari     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Computer Based Test     Shao     Saliu Alamoyo     Ijagbo Health Centre     Ifelodun     Hassan Abdulazeez Elewu     Bayo Lawal     Pius Abioje     Oko-Erin     Obasanjo     Inside Kwara     Sheriff Shagaya     Ita-Nmo Market     Olatunde Michaels     Amule Elementary School     Haruna Tambiri Mohammed     Afin Descendants Union Of Odo-Owa     Sulyman Age AbdulKareem     Mutawali     New Model Police Station     Mohammed Katsina Ahmed    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Ahmed Saidu Rufai     Ahmad Uthman     Oyeyemi Olasumbo Florence     Ishola Moses Abiodun     Wole Oke     Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone     Sarah Alade     Fatimoh Lawal     Borgu     Ayobola Ipinlaiye     Yahaya Abdulkareem     Bolakale Saka     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Sai Kayi     IQRA College     Mohammed Ibrahim     Abdulganiy Abimbola Abdussalam     Kwara Primary Health Care Development Agency     Aliyu Muhammed     Orisa Bridge     Ahmad Lawan     Musa Yeketi     Umar Bayo Abdulwahab     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Olumide Daniel Ibitoye     Jaigbade Alao     Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board     Ishaq Abdulkarim     Aliyu U. Tilde     Communication Network Support Services     Olabimpe Olani     Maryam A. Garuba     Tunde Yusuf     Dairo Kunle Paul     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     Florence Saraki     ARMTI     Oyin-Zubair     Principal Private Secretary     IHS     Edu     3MTT     Salihu Alhaji Musa     Federal Polytechnic Offa     Tunde Mukaila Mustapha     Abdulbaqi Jimoh     International Aviation College     Aminu Ado Bayero     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     LABTOP     PAACO-PCL Consortium     Bello Oyebanji     Amule     Yahaya Seriki Gambari     KSIRS     Arca Santa     Nigeria Governors\' Forum     United Nigeria Airline     Balogun Gambari     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     National Information Technology Development Agency     Aremu Odolaye     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Baba-Isale     Umar Saro     Ilorin Emirate Staff Association     Talaka Parapo     Gobir     Crystal Corner Shops     Dar-Al-Handasah Consultants     Patigi Regatta     Joseph Alex Offorjama     Saliu Ajibola Ajia     Jelili Yusuf     Ajuloopin     Adamu B. Yaqubu     2023 Elections