ENUGU (SUNDIATA POST)- The National Orientation Agency (NOA), has urged Nigerians to respect national symbols such as flags, coats of arms, national currency, anthem and pledge and emblems.
Mrs Clara Nwachukwu, the State Director, NOA, Enugu made the call when she led some management staff of the agency on a courtesy visit to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Enugu office on Wednesday.
Nwachukwu who expressed need for Nigerians to accord respect to national symbols, regretted that the country’s flag were no longer respected.
“We see these days torn national flags and some government offices without a flag.
“These symbols represent our nation’s heritage, values and aspirations. They play crucial role in education, cultural preservation and international representation,” she said.
The state director added that they visited NAN to partner with the agency in sensitising Nigerians on Federal Government policies and programmes especially the the new National Anthem through their reportage.
Nwachukwu, who noted that the national anthem was used in 1960 till 1978, said President Bola Tinubu administration introduced it to Nigerians due to its value and alignment with what the government was doing.
According to her, the stanza one is really touching and has so much value, a show of concern on our youths and our value that is already eroding.
“NOA wants to use the platform to sensitize Nigerians especially those at the grassroots to remind them of our culture and value the country is known for, that is, the respect for one another and brotherhood.
“That is why our Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, mandated us to go round Nigeria sensitising them on new national anthem and need to uphold national values especially among the youths,” she said.
She added that stanza one has been made compulsory to be recited at official functions while stanza one to three should be said on special occasion like Independence and Democracy Day, Children celebration and others.
“The stanza three should be our national prayer. The director general have come up with the National Identity Charter which bears the Nigeria responsibility to the citizens and citizen’s responsibilities to Nigeria,” she explained.
Responding, the Zonal Manager, NAN, Enugu, Mrs Maureen Atuonwu, while commending NOA for initiating the programme for the country, extolled the relationship between the agency and NAN for years.
She called on Nigerians to always think what they could do for the country and not what the country can do for them.
The Zonal Manager disclosed that the agency through its Managing Director, Ali Mohammed Ali had been trying its best to project Federal Government’s policies and programmes.
She, however, promised that the agency would contribute its quota to ensure that the new national anthem got to citizens at the remote areas through its reportage. (NAN)
