NOA Charges Masses To Understand Government Policies, Programmes

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), has charged people of the country on the need to have better understanding of the policies and activities of government so as to be actively involved in governance.

Chief Dr Garba Abari, Director General, National Orientation Agency gave the charge at the zonal flag-off of sensitisation programme on Communicating Federal Government Policies, Programmes and Activities to the General Public , held in Osogbo, on Tuesday.

Abari who reiterated the Agency’s commitment to galvanize support of people towards the implementation of programmes and policies as well as activities of government.

Represented by the Ogun State Director of NOA, Mr Shola Babalola, Abari said the essence of the sensitization programmes was for the people to have better understanding of government policies and programmes.

He noted that the sensitization programmes would be held across the five southern state of the federation.

Explaining reasons for the people to be have a better understanding of government , Abari said this would give them ample opportunity to demand for their preferred projects in their immediate environment instead forcing on them the kind of projects that did not have impact on them.

Earlier, Mrs Yomi Olasinde, Osun State Director of NOA said the sensitization programmes would serve as a feed back mechanism between the governments and the governed.

Olasinde urged people to always design programmes and projects that can key into the economic transformation of the present administration and their communities.

She said, the agency would continue to interface between the government and people so as to provide platform for feedback mechanism to give government better understanding of the yearning and aspirations of the people.

She said it was incumbent upon the people of the state to have a better understanding of the policies and activities of government.

According to her, having understanding of government policies would go a long way in reducing rumour-mongering, insinuations and wrong notions about government’s plans and policies.

Describing the need to educate the people on government’s policies as one of the fundamental roles of the agency, Osun Director of NOA said there can be misplacement of priority in the implementation of some programmes due to lack of communication.

According to her,” a given community may prefer to have health facilities put in place for them plus the construction of an access road at a point in time rather than having a post office or project that is not beneficial, which government may actually want to provide for them.

“It would now be a case of lack of communication and wrong priorities.

She, therefore, urged the participants to help to further enlighten people far and wide on the better understanding of the policies and activities of government

Speaking, Osun State Vocal Person of the N-Power, Hon. Idiat Babalola commended President Buhari for rescuing the nation from the scourge of unemployment.

Mrs Babalola who was represented by Mr. Adepoju Moshood described the initiative as a prototype of the youth empowerment programme already initiated by the former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

She added the adoption of the scheme by the federal government would go a long way to stimulate the nation’s economy and as well eradicate the challenges of unemployment in the country.

She said the N-Power was part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s innovative ideology to set the country off poverty and encourage self-sustainability among Nigerian youths.

Babalola added that the scheme was initiated by the federal government as part of its social investment programmes to curtail youth restiveness having understood that “an idle hand is a devil’s workshop”.

Other poverty eradicating programmes according to Babalola are tradermoni, free meals for pupils, cash transfer among others.

Also, Engr Hezekiah Kehinde, Federal Ministry of Power, Work and Housing and Mr Lawal Aliu among other speakers commended President Muhammad Buhari for promoting policies and programmes designed to eradicate unemployment, poverty and hunger in the country.