Photo: Director General of NOA, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu receiving the handover note from the former DG, Dr Garba Abari at the NOA headquarters in Abuja.
Following his appointment as the Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu has assumed duty at the Agency’s headquarter with a commitment that NOA, under his watch, and had promised to pursue attitudinal and value reorientation of Nigerians towards achieving emotional attachment to the country.
He said the Renewed Hope agenda of the Federal government is a clear charge for the renewal of love for country, ethical re-orientation and citizens’ mobilization for increased development of the country.
He spoke at a brief ceremony for the handing over of the leadership of the Agency from the former DG NOA, Dr. Garba Abari to him. Onilu said NOA is a very important arm of the government that should lead and advocate for a nation whose manifest destiny is the hope of world’s greatest black nation. He emphasized that the selling point for the greatness of the country are too obvious for us to despair.
In his words: “As we are all aware, fundamental changes are presently ongoing in the country. It is important for Nigerians to be fully enlightened about these changes. This I believe will make people to accept and own government policies, programs and activities in its efforts to confront many challenges that these changes throw up. In realizing this, urgent attitudinal and value reorientation is required.
“We require the orientation of the psyche and minds of Nigerians to trust the government and love their country, restore community spirit, uphold our core values, be law abiding and set a minimum standard of behavior for themselves. An important ingredient of the process is to ensure that Nigerians imbibe the necessary values of patriotism, National pride, sense of national oneness, hard work, integrity, accountability and respect for the rule of law. Our task in the NOA is therefore clearly cut out for us.
Onilu therefore called out for rededication on the part of the agency’s staff in carrying out the critical responsibility of raising the awareness level of Nigerians on issues of national interest.
The former DG, Dr. Abari who congratulated Malam Onilu on his appointment and urged the staff to give support to the new Director General especially now that the new administration confront the many challenges facing the country. For him, service to the country is an important virtue for which all citizens must treasure.