With the hope of a better and united Nigeria, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), has sought the support of traditional rulers in promoting the values of a real Nigeria that has responsibility to its citizens with a corresponding expectation from its citizens.
These values will be contained in a new lifestyle charter soon to be unveiled by the Federal government in response to pervading sense of disillusion by many citizens of the country.
The lifestyle charter is one of the brain work of the new Director General of the Agency Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu.
In Ekiti state to meet with stakeholders, Issa-Onilu assured chiefs assembled at the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti that the government realizes the important role of the traditional rulers in shaping both traditional and national values. For him, a value charter will prescribe the basic expectation of the country through its leaders and corresponding duty of every citizen to his country and her compatriots.
Issa-Onilu, in a statement by the Deputy Director of Press, Mr. Paul Odenyi, Assured the traditional rulers that the Agency has made a strategic representation for them to play the expected role not just in shaping a national orientation but in communicating government policies, programmes and activities.
“The National Lifestyle Charter will define who a Nigerian is and what characteristics a true Nigerian should possess. The same way we can attribute certain characteristics to specific parts of the country is the way, we hope that the value charter will codify what makes us a Nigeria. The Charter will outline the Nigerian promise, those minimum expectations from the country irrespective of the party in government or even the ethnicity and faith of the people in government.
“One of the attributes of every citizen is the duty of care which compels all of us to give support to the nation and any other citizen in need. That is what propels the nurse to quickly offer attention to the sick, what pushes the policeman to see citizens in the police station as one seeking protection instead of being treated like a criminal even before conviction.
He admonished the community leaders to take up that responsibility realizing that more than 70% of its citizens are below the age 35 years of age.
The Representative of the Ewi of Ekiti, Chief E.B Ogunmodimu said the palace had made representation to the federal government on its expectations, however pledged the support of the community leaders to government initiative.
The meeting was attended by twenty two chiefs, the state Director of the Agency in Ekiti state, Mr. Adeyemi Akinola. The chiefs later offered prayers for the success of the new Director General.