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.

Bamikole Omishore     Musa Aibinu     Abubakar Bature Sulu-Gambari     Kale Belgore     Toyosi Thomas     Lanre Jimoh     Tsaragi     BIR     Democracy Day     Ilorin Emirate     Fatai Garuba Labaka     Sa\'adatu Modibbo-Kawu     Ahmad Olayiwola Kamaldeen     Olateju Lukman     Lola Olabayo     Razaq Atunwa     Umar Yakubu Jaja     Madawaki Of Ilorin     Kayode Laro     Binta Sulyman     Shonga     Najim Yaasin     Abatemi Usman     Tunde Idiagbon Road     Abubakar Usman Jos     Yusuf Babatunde Abdulwahab     Saad Omo Iya     Ahmed Bayero     Labour Party     Manzuma     Yahaya A Paniyaro     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     Lateef Alagbonsi     Abubakar Abdulraheem     Sanitation Exercise     Na\'Allah     Babatunde Idiagbon     Ibrahim Abdulqadir Abikan     AGF Abdulrazaq     Idi-Ape     Muhammad Yahya     Www.Kwarareports.com     Isiaq Khadeejah     Baba Issa Awoye     Kamaldeen Kehinde     NIPOGA     JMK Construction Company Limited     Ahmed Alhasssan     Dankaka     Suraj Tunji Oyewale     School Of Nursing     Durosinlohun Kawu     Muhammed Mahe Abdulkadir     Ibrahim Oniye     Ilesha Gwanara Road     Aiyedun     Ayeyemi Sulaiman     Haleeman Salman     EndSARS     Amina El-Imam     Islamiya Abdulraheem     Umaru Saro     Student Learning Support Helpline     Plat Technologies Limited     Ramadan     Oke-Ode     Adeleke Ogungbe     Dan-Kazeem     General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport Ilorin     Ope Saraki     Ilorin South Constituency     Oba-Solagberu     Adegoke Bamidele     Kolawole Bashirat     Wahab Olasupo Egbewole     Women Radio     BECE    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

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

Nigerian Supreme Council For Islamic Affairs     Sulyman Buhari     Igbaja     Okin Biscuits     Ajike People Support Centre     Moremi High School     A.G.F Abdulrasaq     National Union Of Road Transport Workers     Y.A. Abdulkareem     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     Osi     Zulkifli Ibraheem     Roheemat Hammed     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Yoruba     Saka Aleshinloye     Tunde Akanbi     Fatai Olodo     ASMAU PLAZA     Oke-Odo     Madawaki Of Ilorin     Seni Saraki     Abubakar Abdulraheem     Alfa Modibbo Belgore     Abdulhakeem Amao     Muritala Awodun     General Hospital     Christopher Tunji Ayeni     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     CACOVID Palliatives     M.Y. Abdulrahaman     Owo Arugbo     Sidikat Uthman Ajibola     Dele Momodu     Ibraheem Adeola Katibi     Alabe     Obuh     Esinniobiwa Quareeb     Omotoso Musa     Suleman Abubakar     Minister     Alikinla     Hamidu Olowo     Ibrahim Akaje     Alimi     Aso Ofi     Seun Bolaji     Marafan Shonga     Elekoyangan     Oloruntoyosi Thomas     Ilorin East     Rebecca Olanrewaju     Rueben Parejo     Monkey Pox     Fatai Garuba Labaka     Idris Garba     Balogun Ajikobi     Radio SBS     KWIRS     Bello John Olanrewaju     Ibrahim Oloriegbe     Olatunde Jare     Kale Ayo     Sobi Hill     Sardauna Of Ilorin     Bamidele Adegoke     Bahago     Afusat Nike Ibrahim     Omu Aran     Abdulrazaq Adebayo     Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia     Principal Private Secretary     Valsolar Consultoria     Mutawali     Lanre Badmas     Yomi Adeboye     Egbewole