NOA, DHQ Partner To Impart Value Reorientation On Citizens, Military

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Defence Headquarters have mapped out plan towards imparting proper values to citizens and the military.

This was the outcome of a meeting between the Director General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa held at the DHQ.

These were contained in a statement by Paul Odenyi, Deputy Director, Press of the NOA, said that at the meeting, the Director General of Agency explained the Agency’s mandates and highlighted its programmes aimed at modernizing its structures by establishing twenty-first-century platforms accessible to all arms of government and agencies.

Recognizing the pivotal role of the military in shaping the nation’s history, Issa-Onilu emphasized the importance of collaboration in creating institutions that instill in citizens a clear understanding of Nigerian values.

He reiterated NOA’s commitment towards ensuring that the National Value Charter (NVC) serves as more than a rhetoric, but rather as a catalyst for substantial societal change.

Acknowledging that youths constitute over 70% of Nigeria’s population, Issa-Onilu advocated for youth-centric policies tailored to address their needs.

He said; “Among the programmes the Agency is embarking on are; implementation of nationalism studies from primary to tertiary levels, launching a 37,000 Citizens’ Brigade aimed at fostering model citizenship, incorporating local content in cartoon characters to instill Nigerian values in children aged 1-12 and promoting respect for elders, one another, and the military.

Additionally, the NOA Director General briefed General Christopher Gwabin Musa on the training sessions for first-class and second-class traditional rulers across Nigeria in peace and conflict resolution.

Responding, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa assured the NOA of Defense’s full support, emphasizing the long-awaited nature of the agency’s programmes.

Musa canvassed the involvement of the armed forces in the planning committee, citing their historical wealth of knowledge and stressed the significance of national pride.

He appealed for positive narratives about Nigeria in the creative industry and the incorporation of Nigerian symbolic monuments into souvenirs just as he emphasized that achieving peace requires a multifaceted approach with the military being just one aspect.