The spokesman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr Femi Babafemi has said British-Nigerian singer Azeez Adeshina Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, is not an ambassador of the agency.
He was reacting on a TVC breakfast programme ‘Your View’ crew’s enquiry on Friday when they asked questions relating to the photographs making the rounds on the social media where the music star posed with the Chairman/CEO, of the NDLEA, Brig. General Buba Marwa(retd).
He, however,said the music star came forward on his own as an advocate against illicit drug abuse.
Babafemi said, “He(Naira Marley)was never appointed an ambassador for NDLEA, we never said so. On our website there was no such place where we officially referred to him as NDLEA ambassador.
“He came forward that he wants to advocate against people into drug abuse, and I think we should not condemn him rather we should encourage him.”
He said there are stringent official conditions to be met before anyone could become an ambassador of the NDLEA.
Confirming this himself, Naira Marley said of his to the NDLEA office on Thursday in Abuja, that he urged youths to shun drug abuse.
He said the side effects of substance abuse can never be overemphasised.
He said he joined the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign to support the agency in its fight against drug abuse among youths in the country.
Naira Marley said: “I would like to urge my fans, Marlians, and all the Nigerian youths, to stop doing drugs because it is not good for your wellbeing. Let’s all stop substance abuse in any form.
“I have keyed into this campaign [War Against Drug Abuse] to support NDLEA to stop drug [abuse] in the streets. Drug abuse is really not good. It makes you go back to crimes. It does a lot of things to you.”
