The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has called on Nigerians to adopt a multimedia approach in the campaign against crime in their communities.
Mohammed made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a sensitisation campaign against political thuggery, kidnapping, drug addiction, radicalisation and violent extremism organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
The theme of the forum was “Building a Secure and Safer Nigeria for all.’’
The minister was represented by Miss Mercy Megwa, the Deputy Director, Child Rights Information Bureau, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.
He said that the objectives of the campaign included to enlighten and mobilise Nigerians to shun drug abuse and other social vices.
Mohammed said the campaign was also aimed at encouraging Nigerians to embrace healthy and responsible lifestyles and minimise the socio-economic loss resulting from vandalism.
“In order to realise the objectives mentioned above, a multi-media approach is to be employed.
” In other words, all hands must be on deck to ensure that the objectives of this campaign are realisable.
“In the first place, community and opinion leaders in all the rural areas across the country have to be engaged and work with their followers to check crimes and criminalities in their areas.
“Secondly, churches and mosques can be employed to spread the message of this campaign to their followers and faithful.
“Thirdly, both electronic and social media platforms can go a long way to spread the messages of this sensitisation campaign.
“Fourthly, posters, fliers, handbills, and others Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials can also be used to deliver the message of this campaign,” he said.
Dr Ahmed Audi, the Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), described hard drugs as an enhancer of criminal action.
” There is a relationship between crime and drugs. You cannot divorce the two, certainly, if you cannot marry them, you cannot divorce them.
“From our records, most criminals that we have arrested are into drugs and most drugs users are also criminals,’’ he said.
He said that the societal value system had been eroded by social vices, stressing the need for value reorientation in the country.
“We must go back to the basics and revisit our own value system and orientation which starts from the family.
“The parents these days do not give their children the required training as we were given before in those good old days.
” We must also work on our education curriculum. We must empahasise the teaching of our history.
“We must teach our children civic education and ethics to improve their ethical conduct.
” When they grow with them, you will now see that they behave well in the society,’’ he said.
Fuad Adeyemi, the Founder of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society of Nigeria, who lauded NOA campaign against crime, called for more funding to spread the message of the campaign.
The Director-General of NOA, Dr Garba Abari, said that the agency began the campaign in other to build a secure and peaceful electoral processe ahead of the 2023 general elections. (NAN)
