Following the rising spate of suicide in the country, most of which are committed using Sniper, the Senate on Tuesday urged the Federal to place a total ban on the product.
Recall that the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control, NAFDAC, recently banned the production of the smaller bottles of the product, which are easily available to the general public.
However, the Senate wants the Government to ban “the production, importation or circulation of sniper insecticide.”
Meanwhile, former governor of Imo State and Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha, has advocated for the establishment of a Ministry of Happiness to tackle the issue of suicide in the country.
The call by the senate followed a motion sponsored by Sen. Theodore Orji (PDP-Abia) and 15 others on the rising incidence of suicides among Nigerians.
Orji, particularly lamented the rising cases of suicide among young Nigerians.
He expressed concern that the number of Nigerians taking their lives had reached a frightening dimension, noting that government, religious institutions and other relevant corporate bodies were not doing enough to address the ugly situation.
Orji said suicide could be prevented if family, friends and close relatives of the person contemplating suicide provided support, either by way of encouraging, listening to them or removing means of committing suicide such as dangerous drugs and chemicals, especially sniper.
He stressed the need to create awareness on how to control stress and depression by government, religious institutions and other relevant corporate bodies and the establishment of trauma centres across the federation.
Contributing, Sen. Okorocha noted that many Nigerians were committing suicide because they were unhappy.
Okorocha said: “Mr. senate president, may I suggest that whether it’s the issue of rape, suicide, let us create a department to address these issues.
“Ministry of health is not up to that, Police is not equipped for that, ministry of information is not equipped for that, we must have a department where people can go and express themselves – that ministry must be a ministry or department of happiness.
“All our prayers appear to me as though we are embarking on academic exercise that might not reflect any practical reality.
“A step should be further taken to find out why these people are not happy to the extent that they will take their life.”
Sen. Bamidela Opeyemi, (Ekiti) the issue of suicide was more of a sociological problem that has to do with depression, mental issues and ultimately poverty.
Based on that, he said the senate must interface with the executive to address the challenges in the economy by creating opportunities for employment through industrialisation and agriculture.
Adopting the motion, the senate urged the federal government through the Ministry of Information, National Orientation Agency, NOA and Ministry of Health to create awareness on how to control stress and depression.
It also called on the federal government through the National Universities Commission, NUC, to review the school curriculum and come up with compulsory courses that would enable students place value on their lives.
Furthermore, the senate said there was need for the executive to expand its special intervention programme to leverage on extant schemes like the N-Power in creating economic opportunities for the vulnerable people.
It also urged religious bodies across the federation to always preach love, peace and how to relieve stress and depression.
