The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law
Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), has said a number of
entertainers abuse drugs and also encourage others to do the same through their
work and activities on social media.
Marwa said this when he received leaders of Nollywood
industry under the aegis of Actors Guild of Nigeria, at the National
Headquarters of the NDLEA in Abuja, on Monday.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the AGN leaders
declared support for the Agency’s ongoing war against drug abuse in Nigeria
even as they expressed their preparedness to join the crusade against the
scourge.
He said Marwa expressed confidence that the campaign against
drug abuse in the country will go far with the offer of partnership and support
from the leadership of AGN.
Marwa was quoted as saying, “A number of artists don’t only
use, they also encourage others to abuse drugs through their work and
activities on social media. We want the Guild to set good example by leading
the war within its circle. Your movies must promote messages against the use of
illicit drugs because the minds of millions are shaped by what they watch in
movies. We need you to set up War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, committees within
your industry.”
Speaking earlier, National President of AGN, Emeka Rollas
Ejezie, said, “We are here today to affirm our complete support to your efforts
in combating the menace of drugs in our society as we strongly believe will
help reduce drug crime to the barest minimum.
“As a Guild of major influencers and in line with our set
objectives to educate, inform and entertain as well as our avowed commitment to
national development, we seek a mutually beneficial partnership with the NDLEA
to leverage on the star-power of our members in promoting some of your
transformation programs especially on drug trafficking and abuses.
“The Majority of our members are youths and appeal to a
generation of youths who are influenced heavily by internet content and social
media.
“We have, therefore,
outlined some advocacy programs to enlighten Nigerian youths on the dangers of
drug abuse and trafficking; they include but not limited to: production of
skits majorly for social media campaigns; drama series on negative effects of
drug abuses, rehabilitations, eradicating the fear of stigmatisation and
advantages of total abstinence; engage some of our A-list actors as NDLEA
Ambassadors to help use their star power to discourage the youths from doing
drugs, among others.
“We share in the dream of a better Nigeria where success
will be the reward for hard work and not through drug trafficking and other
drug-related offences.
“The era of glorifying drug barons and criminals is far gone
and the Actors Guild of Nigeria, as Ambassadors of Nigeria’s image, is readily
available for advocacy campaigns, talk-shops, production of skits, playlets,
feature films etc, on the menace of drug abuse and trafficking, he stated.
Apart from the National President, Emeka Rollas Ejezie,
other members of the delegation include Mohammed Kareem, Vice President North
Central; veteran actor, Zulu Adigwe; Steve Eboh; Onwurah Agility Ifeanyi; Waash
Waziri, Vice President North West; Nazareth Jesse Bako, Mayor AGN Abuja; Pamela
Abah; Veteran actor, Lisa Onu and Hajiya Salma Ibrahim, Chairman AGN Kaduna.
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