Muntaka pushes mandatory drug tests for public-sector recruits

According to the Minister, the exercise exposed worrying levels of drug use and mental health challenges among prospective recruits and demonstrated the need for more stringent screening before people are admitted into public service.

The proposed mandatory testing, therefore, seeks to prevent people with drug-related challenges from entering public service without first receiving appropriate support.

The Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, says his Ministry is preparing an Information Paper for Cabinet on the proposed policy following revelations from this year’s security services recruitment exercise that thousands of applicants were disqualified after medical screening.