ABUJA – The National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Monday urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government to fund its awareness campaign and mobilisation efforts.
The agency’s Director of Political and Civic Education, Mr Afam Anene, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that overcoming challenges such as flooding, living healthy lifestyles and voter education required awareness campaign among Nigerians.
Anene said that as the agency saddled with the responsibility of informing the people on any issues that could affect them, it behooved on MDAs to empower it with funds.
“In the past some of us have argued if it is not possible for us to have five per cent of budget allocation from these various organisations since they say our job is to do awareness campaign and then to take information from the people to the government and government back to the people. [eap_ad_1] “If that is the case, why can’t we have some funding from all these various bodies as a way of forming a synergy between us so that we can reach out?
“But when it comes to issues such as this everybody begins to look at it as if it is my own. So what can you do? Nothing! The little resources you have cannot do much and so you are compelled to stop.
“And as a matter of fact, when you are doing any programme on sensitisation or mobilisation, as the case may be, and you are doing a one-off thing and you stop.
“It is synonymous with not starting at all because we are looking at 170 million people.
“Unless you are telling me to go and sensitise the people that are in Wuse market alone and you do it for just one day and stop.
“Of course you don’t just expect any result because you’ve not driven the message (home).“
He said that the agency was using its community support brigade to inform Nigerians.
According to him, it will be unfair to accuse NOA of not providing Nigerians with adequate prior informing each time disasters occur when the agency lacks the logistic requirements for such a job. (NAN)
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