We’re Mobilizing Against Vote Buying, Election Violence, Others – DG, NOA

BY NGOZI NWANKWO, ABUJA – National Orientation Agency (NOA), said it has commenced massive sensitization campaign against vote buying and selling in all its platforms on the social media and engagement with other stakeholders.

Director General of the Agency, Dr. Garba Abari, who announced this at a press briefing on Monday, February 20,2023, also said that the NOA has sought the cooperation of security agencies including the EFCC, ICPC and the police to take action against those indulging in vote buying and selling.

This was as Abari said in the agency’s continued effort to communicate government’s programmes, activities, and policies especially on the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Naira redesign, political and vote education, and the forthcoming housing and population census, it has carried out intervention activities in the 774 local government areas of the country.

Abari while dismissing insinuations in certain quarters that the NOA was redundant and not doing what was required of it going by the Act establishing it, said that the agency has carried out sensitisation activities at the community level, especially as it pertain to election, census and the CBN policy on the redesign of the Naira.

He further said that the three critical areas were the dominant programmes of government that have far reaching implications for the nation’s political, economic and social development.

Commenting on the Naira redesign policy, Abari explained that three weeks after the introduction of the new naira redesign policy, the NOA approached the CBN for a partnership that would take the communication to the grassroots.

He said; “We reasoned that the redesign will have huge impact for Nigerians living in the communities,

especially those living where banks do not operate and those without internet access.

“So far, our field officers in the 774 Local Council Areas and the 36 states have been mobilised to sensitize Nigerians on the need to keep to the deadline for banking all cash which was, initially January 31, 2023. Happily, a ten-Day extension was given by government

which gave more time for people to bank the old notes.

“The need to have the skills to utilise alternative transaction models. People need to learn how to use electronic platforms to perform monetary transactions, understand the e-naira pay system and the USSD portal.

“To sensitise people on the list of alternative agents that could be used to bank the outgoing currencies, e.g. SANEF agents, MTN Mo Mo PSB, Airtel, smartcash and other cashless channels,” Abari said.

He further said to take this message to the people, and within the framework of the agency’s partnership with the CBN, they distributed massively printed Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials on essential messages on the policy, particularly Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

“We also embarked on a door-to-door campaign, advocacy to community and religious leaders, visits to

media houses and TV/Radio appearances, social media discussions and motorised and road walk campaigns. “Most of these message jingles were translated into local languages. We also conveyed reports from our field officers to the CBN during our second meeting,” he said.

On the forthcoming elections, Abari said in the last 35 years, the NOA has acquired a reputation for delivering on its mandate to promote democracy as the preferred form of government.

He explained that, “As we prepare for the 2023 election, all hands are on desk to ensure that citizens make informed choices in the selection of our leaders post may 2023.

“Arising from our 2019 report, the Agency deliberately designed its political education and sensitization programme around the following thematic areas. Massive Voter Registration; Peaceful election; Women and people with disability inclusion; Collection of the PVC; voter process and new features in the voter experience; Electoral corruption (vote buying and selling); and Voter apathy.

“On voter registration, the NOA has utilised the long period allowed by the new Electoral Act for the proclamation and holding of the election to mobilise Nigerians to prepare to vote and be voted for. In all, about 50 jingles were produced in many languages including English and Pidgin English.

“It was the first time we were using our staff to voice and then later standardise the material for circulation through social media.

“In this day of pervasive social media influence, our staff at the headquarters, states and local government were encouraged to share the jingle in social media platforms where they are part of. The simple message is for citizens to make the effort to register and obtain their Permanent Voter cards (PVC). This helped us to fulfil our set aim of

mobilising for voter registration.

“In addition, we joined other stakeholders through social Media discussions, television and radio appearances to disseminate messages that will promote voter registration across the country.

“Building a people of Peace. We have remained consistent in our social communication strategy by sending out messages of peace. In fact, going by the

history of elections, political violence and disturbances has become part of that history.

“Leaflets and jingles promoting peace and order have been sent out to various opinion leaders especially, the traditional and religious leaders to prevail on their supporters to shun violence. One of the leaflets “Say No To Election Violence” has been translated into pidgin, Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa languages.

“The second one, ‘Lets live together in Peace’, our state and local government officers have been directed to include messages of peace in any sensitization outreach in their areas of operation,” he said.

While reporting on census, Abari said in the last four months, NOA has been working with the National Population Commission (NPC), on the successful conduct of the proposed 2023 census, adding that the partnership is built on the need for grassroots mobilisation and awareness creation.

The objective of the first phase of the collaboration is to strengthen institutional capacity of both the NOA and the NPC to synergise, understand communication landscape and delivery channels for a huge exercise such as the population census, adding that the collaboration also seek to entrench citizen’s buy in to enable them to take ownership of the exercise.

The NOA DG however, noted that political events associated with the general elections have overshadowed the census awareness, adding however that the strategy was to continuously sensitize Nigerians on the exercise.