The National Orientation Agency (NOA) plans to introduce a Ministerial Open House? platform to unite policy makers and stakeholders and enrich public policy in the country.
The Agency’s Director-General, Mr. Mike Omeri, announced this on Tuesday when the Director, Speakers’ Corner Trust, Mr. Peter Bradley, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
The NOA boss said it was high time that groups that had been denied access to government policy making process were considered in policy formulation.
“We intend to give policy makers and those who will be affected by such policies a platform for discussions so that stakeholders can make inputs into existing and intended policies.
“When there is such robust interaction and involvement, it would facilitate ownership, trust and support for government policies by the people.”
Omeri said the platform would also broaden interactions to all government agencies at the federal, state and local levels.
He said? the platform would cut across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, to build trust between the people and the government.
He said the agency would support the Speakers’ Corner Nigeria project as its objectives of promoting public debate, political accountability and active citizenship were in tandem with the agency's mandate.
Earlier, Bradley said the visit was to seek collaboration for the establishment of Africa’s first Speakers’ Corner in Nigeria.
He said it would create opportunities for ordinary people to talk about things that mattered to them and influence decision and policy making.
Bradley said the corner trust would be dedicated to public discourse on policy issues, to ensure that policies served the best interest of the people.
He said the corner had been implemented successfully in the United Kingdom and had helped to develop the Kingdom’s democracy.
“People must be given their rights and space to express themselves. There should also be a free flow of information from the government to the governed and vice versa.
“If people have enough information, they will be more patient, tolerant and understanding with the government.
“Politicians must work hard to convince the people that they own the political system”.
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