Celebrities endorse One Million Man March Against Drug Abuse

[Mirror]

• ... Obalende is centre of drugs in Nigeria –NDLEA ambassador

• ... People think we are drug couriers –Ruggedman

• ... Our success is not from drugs –Laide Bakare

Several celebrities, including Laide Bakare, Beverly Osu, Yemi Sax, Skuki and Ruggedman, have indicated their support of the proposed One Million March Against Drug Abuse initiated by one of their lot, Yinka Lawanson better known as Lamboginny.

The march, which will take place next Saturday in Lagos, will begin at Obalende and end at Tinubu Square. According to Lamboginny, who is also the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency's national ambassador, he is organising the march because his dearest wish is to see this generation abstain from drugs and crime. "Since 2009, I've been organizing prison concerts.

That is, I go to prisons and entertain them with music. But the concerts are not just about entertaining the prisoners. They are actually a form of therapy whereby music is used to reform the inmates for the better. So when I was made the NDLEA's ambassador, I decided I would employ the same method again of using entertainment to combat drug abuse, and that's why I came up with the One Million Man March Against Drug Abuse," he told Entervaganza.

Speaking further, he said, "The march will be a great one that will be heard of worldwide. We are leaving nothing to chance to ensure that we achieve this objective. Because of the nobility of our aim, many people have bought into it. Apart from my celebrity colleagues, the international media organizations, Al Jazeera, CNN and Sahara Reporters TV are also supporting us.

"We are also being supported enormously by Jevinik Restaurant, and during the march, Jevinik will give out 1,000 packs of food, and we are very grateful to them for this kind gesture." Passionately, he explained that the march is beginning from Obalende because the extremely popular area is the centre of drugs in Nigeria.

"Obalende is surrounded by neighbourhoods where the rich people live. These rich people are the ones who indulge in drug abuse. And Obalende easily became their drugs point because it's an area that's very easy for them to access. And I know this for a fact because the official DJ of the march, the one and only DJ Jimmy Jatt, grew up in Obalende and witnessed drug abuse there," he said.

And speaking on how the march will actually pass the message of drug abstinence, he said, "When drug abusers who love celebrities like Beverly Osu and Laide Bakare speaking against drugs during the march, they will be convinced that they should abstain since their favourite celebrities don't like it.

Mind you, the abstinence war cannot be won in one day, but we'll continue to pass the message gradually through marches all over Nigeria and I assure you that in five years time, drug abuse will have reduced greatly." NDLEA spokes person, Mtchell Ofoyeju, who represented the NDLEA chairman, Ahmadu Gide, at the press briefing to announce the march, praised Lamboginny for spearheading the initiative.

"The NDLEA's appointment of an anti-drug abuse ambassador is a way of identifying credible Nigerians with burning passion to advance the c a m p a i g n against drug abuse and t r a f f i c k i n g . Lamboginny has demonstrated that being an anti-drug abuse ambassador is not in words and title but action as well."

No-nonsense rapper, Ruggedman, also commended Lamboginny for the initiative, saying, "I am supporting the march because I know the way we celebrities are suspected when we are travelling out of the country or returning.

"I remember the last time I returned to the country from a trip abroad. There was a lot of focus on me that he don carry something, but I was very confident because I knew there was nothing like that. So I'm very happy about the march and I'm supporting it all the way because it will go a long way in readdressing the way we celebrities are looked at with regards to drugs."

Corroborating Ruggedman, Laide Bakare lamented that celebrities are believed to make their money from drug smuggling. "That is not the case, however, and this march will make people r e a l i s e that."

Source: Celebrities endorse One Million Man March Against Drug Abuse