The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has named the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, as Special Ambassador in its renewed war against narcotics and use of other dangerous substances in the country.
Commander for Narcotics at the NDLEA Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammed Ajiya, who announced the Ambassadorial recognition by the agency during a courtesy visit to the Commission in Abuja last weekend, said the objective of the NDLEA’s visit was to partner the Commission in order to reduce the number of drug addicts in the country through sensitization programmes.
He said one of the aims for this collaboration was to explore the use of telecom platforms to disseminate information about its activities to sensitize the citizens, adding that this has become imperative as nearly all Nigerian youths are telecom subscribers who interface with telecom platforms from time to time.
Ajiya pointed out that the NCC was identified as a good partner of the NDLEA to achieve the anti-graft agency’s mandate of reducing cases of drug addicts among the Nigerian youths.
He said: “The NDLEA has rehabilitation centres across the country. This shows that we do not only apprehend the drug addicts, but we have rehabilitation centres where we monitor and guide them until they are fully rehabilitated.”
Ajiya thanked the NCC boss for accepting the Special Ambassadorial role in the fight against drug addiction in the country
In his remarks, NCC’s Director, Human Capital and Administration, Usman Malah, who received the NDLEA’s delegation on behalf of the EVC, assured the team of the commission’s commitment to supporting the drug agency in eradicating drug abuse and sensitizing the citizens, especially the young generation, majority of whom are telecoms consumers on the effect of drug.
The Director promised: “Strategic collaboration and partnership is one of the key pillars of the two regulatory roadmaps of the Commission – the Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024; and the Strategic Vision Implementation Plan (SVP) 2021-2025 – and we would convey the NDLEA’s message to the commission’s management to see how we can explore the areas of collaboration being requested by your agency.”
