Benin City – As part of its continued efforts to promote formidable policies and programmes of government for the overall development of the country, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Wednesday, held its nationwide one-day Sensitisation Workshop on National Anthem and National Values Charter, across the 36 states directorate in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government in ensuring cohesion, unity, peace and progress among Nigerians.
In his keynote address at the Sensitisation Workshop organised by the Edo State directorate, the director-general of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who was represented by Mrs. Rebecca Nasamu, said the national anthem and national values charter were national identity projects of this present administration’s new mandate strategies for societal engagement and community mobilisation for the country’s socio-economic growth and to also strengthen our democratic institutions.
The DG said the core values of NOA was to inform and enlighten the Nigerian populace on government policies and strategies for implementation as well as mobilisation of people to support the government through a two-way feedback mechanism for the overall good of the country.
“Our collective experience has been employed in our processes of self-evaluation, retooling and re-strategising to meet our needs in the present times.
“Staff training and retraining, galvanising partnership and institutional collaborations, retooling and updating equipment to meet the standards of new age of information technology and innovations in public communication, have been silently undertaken to fully deliver on our statutory mandate, so the collaboration and cooperation with the media will be key to our success,” he said.
The DG thanked the media for their roles in promoting his office’s noble course, noting that the nation’s public communication and enlightenment have grown from the hard copy publications, 12-hour a day television broadcasts and transistor radios, to countless 24/7 satellite/online global platforms, which now remain the preferences of most people, especially the younger generation.
He therefore assured of collaboration with the critical stakeholders to achieve the set objectives in the country.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Edo State director of NOA, Barr. Osahon Uwoghiren, outlined the importance of the national anthem and national values charter, saying it will enhance effective and efficient leadership as those occupying leadership positions, especially those occupying political positions, would be compelled to undergo two weeks orientation training to enable them discharge their responsibilities towards the realization of the dreams of accountability, transparency, integrity and result-oriented leadership to the people.
On his part, the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State, Comr. Festus Alenkhe, represented by the Secretary of the council, Andy Egbon, commended the initiative of NOA in giving the useful information of the policies and programmes of government to the people.
He said the lined up plans of the agency would go a long way to bring development and transformation to the country in terms of adequate information dissemination to the people.
He assured the NOA boss of media collaboration with his office with a view to achieving the desired results.
