By Michael Nnebife
The South East Zonal Director of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mrs Regina Iroha, has appealed to Nigerian citizens to change their negative perceptions and attitudes against Nigeria to refined, acceptable attitudes, for the overall development of the country.
The South East Zonal Director gave the advice while on a familiarization tour to the Anambra State Directorate of the Agency, at Engr Ebele Ofunneamaka Okeke Federal Secretariat Complex, Awka, recently.
The Zonal Director said that since the Director General of the Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa Onuli, assumed office, good things had been happening in the Agency.
Noting that the Director General had good connections all over the country, Mrs Iroha pointed out that the Director had put lofty ideas in reengineering the eluded fortunes of the Agency.
Iroha said that NOA was committed to addressing the ills bedeviling Nigeria over the years with a view to ushering in an enduring development in the country.
She pointed out that the reason behind the establishment of the zonal headquarters of the Agency in the six geographical zones of the country by the Director General, was to further expand the organogram of the Agency for optimal performance.
She expressed happiness and optimism that the establishment of the Zonal Headquarters would help in no small measure in addressing what she described as the peculiar problems bedeviling the South Easterners over the years.
Iroha announced that Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, had given a befitting office accommodation and a parcel of land for the construction of the zonal secretariat of the Agency in the State, disclosing further that the Governor also promised to build the secretariat for the Agency.
Iroha, who further said that the zonal office of the NOA in Abia State would start work very soon, solicited the support of the staff members in moving the South East Zonal office forward.
While noting that the Director General had improved the working conditions in the Agency, the Zonal Director advised the Agency’s staff members in Anambra to be more dedicated and committed to their duty, so that the Director General would have every cause to go to the National Assembly for the common good of the Agency.
She described the community orientation and mobilization officers of the Agency as the strongest unit of the Agency as they gave NOA the power to sensitize and mobilize Nigerians, to key into the developmental policies, activities and programmes of the government.
Adding that NOA was the only Agency in the country that had 250 languages for sensitization and mobilization of the people, the NOA boss urged the officers to work towards changing the psyche and attitude of Nigerians, so as to change Nigeria for better.
Earlier, the State Director of NOA in Anambra State, Mr Edozie Ajaegbu, applauded the Director General for his achievements so far, especially the carving out of additional eight new departments and the establishment of zonal offices in the six geographical zones. He described them as unprecedented.
He also thanked the Zonal Director for deeming the visit necessary, promising that Anambra State would not be found wanting in anything that would make the zonal office to work optimally.
In a vote of thanks, the Deputy Director, Administration, Anambra State, Barr Ifeoma Chijioke, commended the South East Zonal Director, whom, she said, had a lion’s heart.
Barr Chijioke however expressed regret that the state governors in the South East Zone had continued to make the activities of the NOA in the zone practically impossible.
