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.

Ajasse-Ipo     Kaosarah Adeyi     Mogaji Aare     Mohammed Haruna     KWASSIP     Fatimoh Lawal     Medinat Folorunsho Salman     Ayekale     Odo-Owa     Yomi Ogunsola     CCB     Atunwa     Hakeem Lawal     Government High School Adeta     Ilorin Innovation Hub     Ahmed Mohammed Rifun     Suleman Abubakar     Abdullahi Atanda     Ilorin Muslim Community     Akanji     Ilorin South Constituency     Oke-Odo     Kulende-UITH     Neuropsychiatric Hospital     Sa\'adu Salau     The Herald     Garuba Alikinla Shittu     Olofa Of Offa     Bisi Kristien     Sulyman Abdulkareem     Suwa-Arabs     Sai Kayi     Ekiti     Onikijipa     Shuaib Jawondo     Abdulahi Abubakar Bata     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Yusuf Badmus     National Association Of Nigerian Students     Bola Sagaya     Samuel Elizabeth Keatswa     Adesina Simon Sodiya     Kwasu     Olaosebikan     Amina Susa\'a De Ahmed     Abdulfatai Salman Baakini     Baruten     Sabi     Saliu Tunde Bello     Abdulwahab Ololele     Femi Gbajabiamila     Nnazua     Moro     Rachael Obisesan     Bolakale Ayo     Kwara State Council Of Chiefs     New Nigeria People’s Party     Wole Oke     Benin Republic     Bolakale Kawu     Abdullahi AbdulMajeed     Mohammed Yisa     Bukola Ajikobi     Code Of Conduct Tribunal     Mustapha Akanbi     Garment Factory     Dan Iya     David Oyepinola Adedumoye     Obasanjo     Bola Ahmed Tinubu     Kayode Bankole     Unicontinental Construction Company     Oluronke Adeyemi     Shao     Babaloja-General     AbdulRazaq Jiddah     Sheikh Hamzat Yusuf Ariyibi    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Tafida     Yinka Aluko     Flights To Ilorin     NIRSAL     Geri-Alimi Split Diamond Interchange     AbdulGafar Tosho     Yomi Adeboye     Muhammed Akanbi     Frootify     Asa LGEA School     Salihu S. Yaru     Fatimat Saliu     Binta Abubakar-Mora     George Funsho Adebayo     Hausa     Imam Gambari     Assayomo     Gurei     Monthly Sanitation     Chartered Institute Of Personnel Management Of Nigeria     Kwara State Fire Service     Titus Suberu-Ajibola     Muyideen Ajani Bello     Sheu Ndanusa Usman     AbdulRasaq Abdulmajeed Alaro     Doyin Agbamu     Iponrin     Ohoro Of Shao     Quarry Royal Valley     Solomon Edoja     Taofeek Sanusi     Trader Moni     KWAFFA     Chief Imam Of Lafiagi     Offorjama     Balogun Fulani     Ibrahim Abduquadri Abikan     Muhammad-Mustapha Suleiman     Kolawole Bashirat     Aisha Gobir     Al-Ilory     Yakub Lai Gobir     Mohammed Jimoh Faworaja     Abdullahi Dasilva Yussuf     Rasheed Jimoh     Kale Bayero     Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union     Theophilus Oyebiyi     Pius Abioje     Amule Elementary School     Age AbdulKareem     Abdulkadir Akanbi-Oke     Kwara Polytechnic     Yemi Osinbajo     Sheikh Ridhwanullah     Moshood Kashimawo Abiola     Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq     Centre For Community Empowerment And Poverty Eradication     Abdulmumini AbdulRazaq     Surajudeen Akanbi     Bukola Saraki     Oniyangi     Kaosarah Adeyi     Tuesday Assayomo     V.O. Abioye     Saudat Abdulbaqi     Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development     Sherif Sagaya     Kwha.gov.ng     Awwal Jawondo     Bashir Adigun     Salihu Yahaya     Risikat Lawal     Bolakale Kawu Agaka     Alabere     Ibrahim Bio     Kwara 2015