Directorship And The Dangers Of Dealing With Those On Drugs

By Bala Ibrahim.

Leadership and directorship are one and the same thing. They stand for the action of leading a people or an organization. A good leader therefore, is expected to have certain qualities, that should include, integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, compassion, and resilience. Leaders or directors should be mentally quick and have the capacity to flex their influence while communicating their vision, showing gratitude, and collaborating effectively. In short, mental alertness is a prerequisite for leadership. By definition, mental alertness is the pinnacle of heightened sensory awareness, enabling quick perception and decisive action. It is the key to unlocking the mind’s full potential-the potential of a leader.

Few weeks ago, following the recent Supreme Court judgment, that granted financial autonomy to local governments in Nigeria, the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), announced that, local government elections will take place all over the state, on the 30th of November, 2024. That’s less than three months from now.

The elections are for chairmen and local councillors, who constitute the first line of governance, directly interacting with, and responding to the needs of the community. Their decisions often have immediate impacts on the lives of the local people. Therefore, Local government council elections are the ones that determine the type of leadership that will directly influence community development, infrastructure, education, health services, and local economic policies. Because of their significance, those aspiring for the elections, are expected to have those important qualities of leadership or directorship, prominent amongst which are, integrity and self-respect.

In announcing the election guidelines, the Chairman, KANSIEC, Professor Sani Lawan Malumfashi, said:

“The notification of the election will be issued on November 15. Nomination forms will be available from October 1 to October 11, with submission due by October 18, 2024. The screening of candidates is scheduled for October 18 to October 20, after which the list of eligible candidates will be released on October 24. We plan to release the results of the winners by December 10, 2024. As part of the preparations, candidates have been advised to adhere to strict guidelines. Anyone violating these rules will be punished.”- Professor Sani Lawan Malumfashi, Chairman, KANSIEC.

However, contrary to the expectations of the KANSIEC, particularly with regards to the issue of adherence to strict guidelines, even before the screening of candidates by the Commission, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA ,has discovered that at least 20 aspirants in the forthcoming local government elections in the state, have tested positive for multiple drugs. This was disclosed by the NDLEA commander in Kano, Abubakar Ahmad.

“So far, 20 aspirants presented to us by the ruling party (NNPP) in the state have tested positive for multiple drugs, and the exercise is ongoing”.- Commander Abubakar Ahmad.

Excercise is ongoing. Which means there may even be more. Amongst the substances found in the aspirants are, opioids (codeine) and Tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise called, THC. THC is a cannabinoid that is found in cannabis. Doctors say, THC intoxication is known to impair cognitive function on a number of levels—from basic motor coordination to more complex tasks, such as the ability to plan, organize, solve problems, make decisions, remember, and control emotions and behaviour. And these are almost the most important ingredients of decision making, or leadership.

With this development, it means, some local governments in Kano are likely to have leaders with qualities that are in conflict with the original ambition of directorship. No doubt, the discovery by the NDLEA, which is a part of the crackdown on drug abuse among candidates, would raise concerns about the integrity of future leaders, and the quality of the upcoming elections as well.

Long before now, pursuant to the exhibition of behaviours that are undesirable, or harmful to the system, by some political office holders in Nigeria, the former Chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mrs Farida Waziri, called for the adoption of compulsory psychiatric tests for politicians. The aim, she argued, is to put a stop to the display of conducts that go against accepted norms or rules of the society, corruption inclusive.

Indeed, electing people that are dealing in drugs can come with countless consequences, all of which may lead to a loss of productivity and job performance. Apart from the frequency of accidents and injuries at the workplace, employee absenteeism is the permanent feature of persons that are engaged in substance abuse. And such people are not fit to be leaders or directors.

It is sad to see that today, there are accusations against a number of our leaders, that are known to be big time names in the business of substance abuse. Yet, the fate of their decisions, always affect our destiny, and the destiny of our nation. This is aside the harm that may come the way of their health. Doctors say, depending on the actual compound, drug abuse, including alcohol, may lead to health problems, social problems, morbidity, injuries, violence or even deaths. Even some suicides are attributed to substance abuse.

And that is precisely why, it’s very dangerous to deal with those on drugs, in matters of leadership or directorship, I think.