By Ahmad Alabira, Dutse
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) Jigawa State chapter has commenced a public sensitisation campaign on national value, in a bid for Nigerians to know the National value Charter of the current National Anthem.
The State Director of the NOA, Mr Tijjani Ahmad stated this while addressing newsmen in Dutse on Friday.
The Director stressed that the campaign will run between October and December 2024 to address the challenges faced by Nigeria’s national consciousness.
He said this will be done through reinvigorating the spirit of unity, patriotism, and national pride across the nation.
He explained that if this is done, the gesture will promote national unity, patriotism, and shared values among Nigerians.
“Nigeria’s national consciousness has been facing challenges in recent years, which include growing distrust in government institutions, diminishing loyalty to the state, and eroding patriotism.
“The key elements of the campaign is to reinforce loyalty to the nation, promote civic responsibility, inculcate national values in the youths, and leverage the power of the media.
“The agency will partner with media organisations to disseminate the message of national reorientation.
“The National Values Charter was divided into two sections, the first include; equality, democracy, entrepreneurship, peace and security, inclusivity, freedom and justice, and meritocracy,” he said.
According to him the second charter is Citizen’s Code, which consist of seven-point obligations of citizens such as discipline, duty of care, tolerance and respect, leadership and patriotism and transparency.
Ahmad said others include accountability, and integrity, family values and environmental awareness, dignity of labour, resilience, and self-reliance respectively.
Also commenting, Mr Williams Dogo, the Director of Legal Services of the agency who represented the Director-General of the agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu urged Nigerians to embrace values.
“I urged Nigerians to embrace the values enshrined in the National Anthem and the National Values Charter by working together to build a stronger and more prosperous nation.
“The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the first stanza of the national anthem to be rendered at all official functions.
“While the three stanzas would be for special occasions, such as Independence Day, Democracy Day and inauguration of the National Assembly.
“The council approved adoption of the third stanza of the new national anthem as the new national prayer,” he said.
He said this gesture will promote unity and motivate patriotism amongst Nigerians.
He urged the citizens to familiarize themselves with the correct lyrics, embrace this and other national symbols of our national identity.
He said that the agency had begun sensitisation and awareness creation on “National Values Charter” which would soon be unveiled by President Bola Tinubu.
“FEC had also approved the mandatory inclusion of the charter as part of the curricular of schools at both basic and post-basic levels.
“This charter is a mutual commitment of the country and citizens to the national cause whereby government at all levels must fulfill its basic non-negotiable promises in return for commitments from the citizens,” he concluded.
