The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has denied reports of appointing music star Afeez Adeshina Fashola, known as Naira Marley as its ambassador.
Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, clarified this Saturday in a statement.
According to him, NDLEA’s recent engagement with Naira Marley was to encourage the music star to use his talent to discourage youths from substance abuse.
Kemi Kilani News recalls that on Thursday, 17 August 2023, Naira Marley led his team members on a visit to the National Headquarters NDLEA in Abuja to express his preparedness to join the fight against drug abuse in the country.
Contrary to speculations, NDLEA stressed that it never appointed Naira Marley as its ambassador.
“This clarification became necessary following continued misrepresentation of the purpose of the visit, especially on online platforms where some reports suggest that the British-Nigerian singer was appointed as an NDLEA Ambassador.
“This is a misleading and absolute falsehood as the pictures of the visit and the short video containing Naira Marley’s advocacy message to his followers were properly captioned and shared by the Agency without suggesting such an appointment.
“The decision by the Agency to encourage Naira Marley, with over seven million followers, half the population of those who abuse drugs in Nigeria, to use his platform to share anti-substance abuse messages against using same to promote and glamourize drug abuse with the dire consequence of misleading millions of Nigerian youths into their peril, is to create a balance between our drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts”.
