The National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Friday advocated for the second stanza of national anthem to replace the regular prayer made by the two religious bodies in public places. ?
Mr Mike Omeri, director general of the agency, made this call in Abuja when the Special Adviser to the President on Social Development and Special Duty, Mrs Sarah Eane paid him a courtesy visit.
He said it was imperative for Nigerians to start adopting the second stanza of the national anthem as prayer as against the usual one made by both Muslim and Christian which sometimes led to bickering.
Omeri said adopting the anthem as prayers could lead Nigerians to the path way of peace, saying if the national assembly could have a single prayer, nothing according to him should stop the country from following suit.
The DG said the agency was saddled with the responsibility of spreading correct messages of??development, adding that it would stop at nothing to ensure that the transformation agenda of President Jonathan was achieved.
“We thought we will be a lone ranger when the idea of making the second stanza of the national anthem a prayer in public places was muted, but suddenly the special adviser is already buying into it.
“If I employ 1000 imam or pastors for prayers and I keep doing the wrong thing I am not being honest, so it’s good we keep reminding ourselves of the wordings in the anthem, “ he said.
NAN reports that the DG of NOA had circulated about 85 letters to ministries, departments and agencies on the need to mount the national flag in their offices and replace the bad ones.
Earlier, Eane had commended the DG for his role in sensitising and enlightening the public on government policies, adding that NOA should not rest on its oars in spreading the message to the grass roots.
She noted that the country’s national anthem was being played down as people had no regard for it as it was before, adding that NOA should step up effort at encouraging people to sing it.
Eane?said there was need for every, ministry, department and agency to create a unit so as to sensitise the public on what the government was doing.
“It is not only the civil society that is interested in the welfare of Nigerians that is why the president deemed it fit to create an office on social development,“ Eane said
She added that NOA was important to the realisation of? her goal because of its grass roots reach, hence the need to work together would be germane to the realisation of the president transformation agenda.
Eane urged NOA to engage the grass roots?and not to concentrate its activities only to the urban areas, this according to her would fast tract the need for people to understand government policies.
The special adviser said more than 200 thousand job would soon be created for the youth as the government had enter partnership with multi level marketing company that would train the youth and government would provide the necessary aid after the training.
“Am alarm by the number of youth roaming the street, more and more youths are getting unemployed with most of them accepting that they are helpless,“ she said
She added that the transformation that was promised by the President could not be achieved without the effort of other government agencies and cooperate bodies. (NAN)
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