The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the mandatory inclusion of the National Values Charter as part of the curricular of schools at both the basic and post basic schools and a component of pre-resumption retreat for the Federal Executive Council members, the National Assembly members, the Judiciary and other government appointees.

Lanre Issa-Onilu, the Director General of NOA dropped this hint while addressing newsmen on the new National Anthem and National Value Charter at the NOA Lagos office.

Issa-Onilu, who was represented at the briefing by Olowoyo Ayisola, Director Human Resources National headquarter, Abuja pointed out that this new syllabus will comprise key topics.

He also said that the FEC approved the establishment of National Values Brigade in all schools both primary and secondary across the country that this will help to raise model citizens among Nigerian children as ambassadors of values.

On the National Anthem, he said that the first stanza only should be rendered at all official functions, while the three stanzas should be for special occasion such as Independence Day, Democracy day, Inauguration of the National Assembly, Children?s day, Armed Forces Remembrance Day and workers day and that the third stanza of the new National Anthem be adopted as national Prayer.

He said that the citizenship study should be made a compulsory component of the educational system from primary to secondary levels of education, while directing the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerian Education Research Development Council and other relevant government institutions and stakeholders to work with NOA to develop a curriculum for citizenship education.

He said in the last two weeks, NOA has achieved some milestones in its bid to re-engineer the focus of its campaigns nationwide.

?As you may be aware, we have been advocating for a fundamental approach to value orientation and attitudinal change campaigns. Whereas slogans are good for the ear, it does not entrench these values in our hearts,? he said.

Speaking further he said that FEC approved the nationalisation of cartoon content in Nigeria to break the dominance of foreign cartoons in the country and to promote our values, cultures, heroes, and lifestyles.

?This will also encourage local cartoon content creators through various forms of government support to create jobs and develop the animation movie sub sector.?

The NOA DG also noted that FEC approved the change of name from the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) brigade to Citizens Value Brigade and also approved that Value Orientation be made compulsory component of the one year mandatory national youth Service with NOA working with NYSC to inculcate national values on fresh graduates of higher institutions of learning.

Dr. Mustafa Adedeji Tukur, State Director, NOA in his contribution said that the part of what NOA is doing is to encourage civic engagement and civic harmony between the government and the people.

He said that the sensitization programme will be carried out in all the states of the federation and all local government areas.

Tukur pointed out that the sensitization programme will run for three months in the state and that various activities have been lined up to make that happen.

Some of the activities according to him include; road show to create awareness as an agency of government to propagate government policies and programmes, visit to schools from the primary to the tertiary institutions, visit to traditional rulers in the state among several others. (Daily Independent)

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