House Of Reps To Hold Confab On Drug, Alcohol Abuse

The Ad-Hoc Committee set up by the House of Representatives to probe the increase in cases of drug trafficking, alcohol, and abuse in the country is organising a multi-stakeholder conference in Lagos and Abuja to find ways of ending the menace.

The Ad-Hoc Committee’s chairman, Hon. Timehin Adelegbe, said in a statement after its inaugural meeting that the panel sat in response to the public outcry by Nigerians regarding what he described as a growing national emergency that cuts across public health, youth safety, corporate accountability, and the integrity of Nigeria’s trade and regulatory systems.

Adelegbe said the committee was committed to carrying out its constitutional mandate to investigate and expose all forms of corporate and institutional misconduct contributing to the proliferation of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco-related abuse in the country.

He said: “Our mandate is clear. We are to investigate the conduct of companies operating within the drug, alcohol, and tobacco industries, and to ensure absolute compliance with Nigerian laws, regulations, and ethical obligations to the Nigerian people.”

Adelegbe said the committee’s assignment will cover critical areas of national concern, including the increasing abuse of codeine-laced cough syrups, tramadol, and other controlled substances and the unchecked production and sale of cheap spirit cocktails and illicit alcoholic beverages.

The lawmaker said further that the Committee’s work will prioritise human life and national interest above profit, emphasising that the era of corporate recklessness, weak compliance, and regulatory compromise is over.

He cited key laws and regulations that will guide the Committee’s investigation include

NAFDAC Act Cap N1 LFN 2004 – Product registration, safety, and standards, National Tobacco Control Act 2015 – Tobacco regulation and advertising, ARCON Act 2022 – Advertising standards and consumer protection, FCCPC Act 2018 – Fair competition and consumer rights.

Others include the SON Act – product quality compliance, the NDLEA Act – controlled substances and illegal distribution, the Nigeria Alcohol Policy 2018 – Regulation of harmful alcohol use, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 – tracking illicit trade proceeds.

Adelegbe warned that any attempt by invited organisations to mislead the committee, conceal, or falsify information during the investigation will be treated as contempt of the National Assembly under Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He said the committee will be working with two law enforcement experts: a retired Assistant Comptroller General of Customs and a retired Assistant Commandant General of NDLEA, who will bring field-based experience to guide investigative operations.

Adelegbe further stated that the committee’s work required evidence & data gathering, public hearings, and a strategic forum conference with focus areas on Alcohol, Tobacco, Port Terminals, and Pharmaceutical Industries to be held in Lagos, as well as focus areas on Government Agencies, NGOs, CSOs, and Regulatory Bodies in Abuja.

He said the conferences would serve as platforms for policy dialogue, expert recommendations, and the drafting of actionable resolutions for legislative reforms.

Adelegbe reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to truth, transparency, and accountability in its proceedings, adding that the Committee’s investigation is not a witch hunt, but a patriotic exercise aimed at protecting the health and well-being of Nigerians and restoring ethical corporate conduct in the country.

“Nigeria must never become a dumping ground for toxic products, illegal drugs, predatory advertising, and destructive business practices. This Committee stands firm in defence of the Nigerian people,” he added.