Retired Brid.-Gen. Buba Marwa, the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has described the media as a potent tool for the entrenchment of transparency and accountability in the law enforcement process.

Marwa made this known while declaring open a training for media personnel on anti-corruption, police accountability and sensitisation on drugs and drug prevention, Treatment and Care (DPTC).

The training was organised in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Marwa, represented by Mr Shadrach Haruna, the NDLEA Secretary said the media was a crucial link between the public and law enforcement.

Marwa appreciated the UNODC for the training, adding that the media was a valued partner to the NDLEA.

He added that the agency relied on the media to foster a friendly ecosystem that aided anti-illicit drug abuse and trafficking in the society.

The chairman also said that the illicit drug landscape was a rapidly changing scene, and modern drug law enforcement had to keep up with the dynamics.

“That calls for training in various activities targeted at curbing abuse and trafficking of illicit substances”, he said.

According to the NDLEA chairman, what this also means is that such training should not only enhance the capacity of anti-drug agencies.

“It should also reform their systems and processes and instill in them the essence of best practices.

“In the NDLEA, we yearn for training and UNODC has been forthcoming, providing various capacity development trainings in the past three years.

“These trainings have been for our personnel and stakeholders across a broad spectrum of activities that include drug supply reduction and drug abuse prevention and treatment”, he said.

Marwa also recalled that the agency and UNODC had trained journalists and personnel of the NDLEA media directorates on DPTC in 2022.

He added that the knowledge gained from the training had impacted on NDLEA media activities.

“Similarly, we have also noticed remarkable positivity and better reporting from the media on illicit drug matters.

“So we do not doubt that this training, which is broader in scope, will further empower media personnel.

“This will be with deep knowledge of pertinent issues in law enforcement in general and drug law enforcement in particular.

“By adopting the whole-of-society approach to the illicit drug problem, we inevitably have to create awareness among the populace about the dangers of abusing illicit substances, and the process of getting out of drug dependence by treatment and rehabilitation.

“Information dissemination, as required, is practically media work, from within the agency and the larger media to society. That is why NDLEA values media partnerships”, he said.

In his remarks, UNODC country representative, Mr Oliver Stolpe commended the media for their engagement over the years.

Stolpe pledged the commitment of the UNODC to providing updated data of drug survey in Nigeria.

Similarly, the Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu said that the media plays an indispensable role in shaping public opinion and fostering an informed and proactive citizenry.

Issa-Onilu urged participants to engage fully with the training sessions and utilised the knowledge gained to drive positive change in the society.Y

“Your role as media personnel is crucial in shaping a well-informed and proactive Nigeria as together, we can forge a society that upholds justice, accountability, and the well-being of its citizens”, he said. (NAN