By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA- WITH deep concern over social vices in the society, deejays under the auspices of Deejays Association of Nigeria, DJAN, Thursday, reveal plans to collaborate with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control, NAFDAC, to fight against drug abuse and other vices among youth across the country.

This was made known by the President, DJAN, Prince Christian Edeh, (a.k.a DJ Perfect International) during a press conference on the sidelines of signing a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with some consultants in Abuja that would build capacity of members of the association.

Edeh made it known that part of the of the MoU is to tackle issues on drug abuse and other social vices that have negatively impacted the youth, therefore, DJs would be in the forefront to tackle them and ensure the youth are reformed and made responsible.

He said: “When it comes to the teeming youth, almost 90 per cent of our members are below age of 40 and they can be classified as youth.

“We are utilising their age and their energy that is the reason why we signed agreement with a consultant, 2GGS Impacts.

“We are going to specialise on bringing projects and programmes that will reengage the youth. Presently, we have a programme which is called `DEEJAYS Against Drugs (DAD)’.

“You know that we just signed the MoU, we will soon unfold the programme to ensure it comes on board.

“We are going to engage National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC and security agencies. So, DJAN is just like a new born baby today because we want to break out from our usual social media platform, we want the media to know that we are around.”

He further stated that, “We want the world to know that we are out to change the world because music changes the world.

“It is an industry that speaks not just the words but it speaks with rhyme and personality because when youths are gathered, a deejay is the personality they are looking on to, deejay can stop the music and they will complain why deejay and you say stop, don’t do this and don’t do that, it is because the music is good they will listen to that deejay because they want to dance more and enjoy more.

“So, deejay is that personality can control a lot of vices even positive things because he is charge of the event. That is why nobody should tore with any deejay when you hired one.

He also called on Nigerians to see Deejays as responsible people, adding that they have those who have attained their PhD level and even directors in the ministries as members of DJAN.

“You must make sure that his welfare is taken care of. And he should be well paid because without deejay, there will be no event. So, we are the king of entertainment.

“And I want the world to know and note it, including the artists, we play their songs we pay them money as royalty so that they will get some things out of their intellectual property we are using.

“So, they should also recognise that we are the ones driving the music because if we don’t play it, it is not going to be popular.

“So, everybody should begin to realise the importance of deejays in the creative industry and change the world in general”, he pointed.

Meanwhile, Team Leader, 2GGS Impacts, Gibson Ngoka, speaking on behalf of other consultants including Manager Leadership Scorecard, Emmanuel Satumari, and LEGAL Adviser, Emotions Brand House, Gloria Blaize, emphasized that, “We have been working with DJAN sometime now, this is just to formalise everything. DEEJAYS Against Drugs, DAD, is the programme that we want to use to contain drugs abuse which the penetration is beyond the normal level that is expected of any society.

“So, we want to address that issue through the instrument of music. Deejays are the biggest hosts of events in this country, they can shape human behaviour and enhance behavioural change, that is why we want to use them to sensitise Nigerian youths to fight against drugs and other vices in our society.”