ABUJA (NASS Report) – The Senate recently at plenary, urged the Federal Government through the Ministry of Information and Culture and its parastatal, National Orientation Agency as well as the Ministry of Health, to urgently create awareness on how to control stress and depression and establish trauma centers across the country.
In a motion sponsored by Senator T. A. Orji and 15 other Senators, it stated that the high incidence of suicide amongst Nigerians in recent times, is of grave concern. He added that significant number of people with suicidal intentions keep their thoughts and feelings secret and show no sign that anything is wrong.
According to the report, the Senate expressed concerns over the
number of Nigerians taking their lives which has assumed a frightening dimension
and urged the government, religious institutions and other relevant corporate
bodies to address the ugly situation in the country so that it does not
continue.
Contained in the motion, is an appeal to Federal Government
to ban the production, importation or circulation of sniper insecticide, a
product currently used to commit suicide. It also stated that the Federal Government
should through the National Universities Commission (NUC) review the school curriculum and come up with compulsory
courses that will enable students place value on their lives and detest
suicide.
Finally they promised to engage the executive arm on the need to expand the scope and content of the Special Intervention Program of government and to leverage on extant schemes like the N-Power in creating economic opportunities for the vulnerable sections of the population.
Charles Akpan
Deputy Director
