The Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), National Headquarters, Abuja, Mallam Issa Onilu, has flagged off Nationwide Sensitization Campaign on the World HIV/AIDS Day, Security Awareness, Get-Rich-Quick Syndrome, World Human Rights Day and the new Tax Reform Bills of the Federal Government in Anambra State.
Performing the function today at Engr. Ebele Ofunneamaka Okeke Federal Secretariat Complex Awka, Anambra State, The Director General, represented in the event by the Director Orientation and Behavioural Modification, NOA National Headquarters, Abuja, Barrister Tessy Nnalue, noted that the nationwide sensitization campaign on the five critical issues was central for the nation’s well-being, unity and her all-round development.
Dwelling on one of the subject matters, “shunning the Get- Rich-Quick Syndrome,” the Director General challenged Nigerian citizens to reject totally shortcuts of en massing wealth, but to embrace integrity, hard work and the opportunities provided through government initiatives to make their lives more better.
“In this yuletide, the tendency to resort to criminal ways to acquire ill-gotten wealth so as to impress others was highlighted.
“NOA will in this month of December, carry out nationwide sensitization programme against the get-rich-quick syndrome by Nigerian youths”, the NOA boss said.
He stated that the government recognizes the erosion of age long values in the country and economic hardship which he said often drives individuals toward indulging in unethical practices, saying that to address this ill, government had implemented youth empowerment programmes such as National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) and skill acquisition initiatives.
“Government has supported small and medium enterprises through grants and loans to promote entrepreneurship in Nigeria,” Mallam Onillu harped.
The Director General, who said that the issue of security remains top priority for the present government at the center, highlighted some of the efforts government was making to address the unabated insecurity in the country to include, strengthening security architecture of the country through better equipment, training and increased funding for security agencies, among others.
On the issues of the World HIV/AIDS Day, World Human Rights Day, and the new tax reform bills of the federal government, Mallam Onillu said that the government in the country is doing its own part, but argued that no government can succeed alone, adding that addressing these five key maladies in Nigeria today, required collaboration from all citizens, stakeholders and institutions to build a healthier, safe and more ethical Nigeria.
Earlier, the Anambra State Director of the Agency, Mr. Edozie Ajaegbu, remarked that the programme was flagged off two weeks ago in Abuja by the Director General of the Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa Onillu and today, Anambra State Directorate of the Agency is stepping the programme down in the state, hence the DG’s representative to address Ndi-Anambra on the five cardinal issues.
He pleaded with the media officials that attended the event to join forces with NOA in propagating the messages of the programme to all length and breathe of the state so that the people will be adequately informed on the current government programmes, policies and activities with a view to eliciting feedback mechanism that would assist government in her policymaking that would positively impact on greater percentage of Nigerians.
Also, the representative of the Comptroller, Nigerian Immigration Services, Anambra State Command, DCI Ethel Chuks Okonkwo, affirmed that nobody is allien to the security happenstances in the country, urging the people to always say something whenever they see something and commended the NOA’s efforts geared towards making the country liveable for all.
“The tax reform bills of the federal government is a welcome development,because it will reduce the issue of uncontrollable tax burdens on most Nigerians”, he said.
Anambra State Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, Mr Maku Olatunde, represented by the Head of Media and Technical of the Command, Superintendent Okadigbo Edwin, explained that the Corps came to support NOA in her onerous tasks, especially in the area of making Nigerians become security conscious,stressing that the Command had designed some functional measures geared towards making the state more safe before, during and after the yuletide periods with particular reference to protecting the public utilities in the state.
For her, the Deputy Director Administration, NOA Awka, Barrister Ifeoma Chijioke, appreciated all who deemed it feat to grace the programme and enjoined the participants to key into propagating the messages of the event to reach everybody in the state.
The event which featured questions and answers by the participants was massively attended by media officials and heads of security agencies in the state.
