By Aminu Garko
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has embarked on a nationwide sensitisation campaign, including press conferences, on the National Anthem and National Values Charter.
The sensitisation is in fulfilment of President Bola Tinubu’s declaration that the agency must build Nigerians to build Nigeria through sensitisation and re-orientation campaigns.
In Kano, a press conference on the National Anthem and Values Charter was on Thursday held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to brief reporters on the value orientation and attitudinal change campaign.
NOA Ag. State Director, Rabiu Ado, disclosed that NOA had, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, submitted proposals seeking to entrench value orientation processes. And that many of the memoranda deal with young age indoctrination, providing the template for evaluation of the Real Nigerian character, which he said, were all approved by Federal Executive Council (FEC).
These, according to Ado, includes restoration of the dignity and standardisation of national Symbols such as the National Flag, Anthem, Pledge and the Coat of Arm.
According to him, the first stanza of the National Anthem is to be used at all official functions, while the three stanzas will be for special occasions such as Independence Day, Democracy day, Inauguration of the National Assembly, Children’s day, Armed Forces Remembrance Day and workers day.
That the third stanza of the new National Anthem is adopted as national Prayer and that NOA, as custodian of the National Symbols, will be the source of all official symbols to ensure standardisation.
September 16 is set aside to be observed as national symbols enlightenment day in the country. And that symbols must be accorded respect, properly displayed and handled including the hoisting of national flag in public buildings, in order to build up love for country, strong national identity, unity and pride.
Ado said FEC also approved the mandatory inclusion of the charter as part of the curricular of schools at both the basic and post basic schools.
“It also approved the teaching of the national values charter as mandatory component of pre-resumption retreat for the federal Executive council members, the national Assembly members, the judiciary and other government appointees,” he said.
Other new impetuses include; Establishment of National Values Brigade in primary and secondary schools, mandatory Citizenship study in the educational system, nationalisation of cartoon content in Nigeria to break the dominance of foreign cartoons in the country and to promote values, cultures, heroes, and lifestyles.
War Against Indiscipline (WAI) brigade has also been changed to Citizens Value Brigade.
“The WAI brigade of the NOA was established during the military era but has remained an anathema as a democratic government cannot be seen to be waging war against its citizens over indiscipline.
“Value Orientation also has to be made compulsory component of the one year mandatory national Youth Service with NOA working with NYSC to inculcate national values on fresh graduates of higher institutions of learning,” he added.
In his speech, NOA Director Legal Services, Barr. Williams Manya Dogo, said the sensitisation by NOA is to enable Nigerians imbibe all the cherished values that our forefront were known with, that is why the national anthem has been revived to foster further unity.
“If there anything so desired in this country is unity. And we cannot build Nigeria unless we have quality Nigerians,” he said.
He called on the public to support the government, noting “it is from us (the masses) that the president and National Assembly members are produced. We must support them and support government to succeed.”
