Shehu Sani, the Senator representing Kaduna Central has said that the
state of hopelessness in the economy is responsible for the abuse of
codeine by Nigerians.
The lawmaker said this in reaction to an investigatory video by BBC
recorded in Nigeria showing abuse of codeine by youths and its
consequences.
Titope Blog reports that the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on
Tuesday directed the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration
and Control, NAFDAC, to ban with immediate effect further issuance of
permits for the importation of codeine as active pharmaceutical
ingredient for cough preparations.
Adewole said the directive became necessary due to the gross abuse of
Codeine usage in the country.
However, reacting through his Twitter handle, Shehu Sani said creation
of a stabilised economy and system to give hope to the youths will
hinder them from finding solace in Codeine.
He urged the federal government to promote the economy, hence, give
meaning to their lives.
Sani wrote, “Codeine is an opium that symbolizes our social dislocation
and societal collapse.What we have is a system that has over the years
ostracized and mentally deformed a generation, dispatching them to
seek solace in aphrodisiac .
“Codeine is a problem and the bigger problem remains a corrosive
socio economic order that created a state of hopelessness.We must
continue to work hard in order to change it so as to give meaning to
the lives of our young ones.”