By Ihechinyere Chigemeri-Uwom
Taking a cue from the establishment of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Gov. Alex Otti of Abia inaugurated the Abia State Orientation Agency on Tuesday in Umuahia.
The Federal Government established the NOA in 1993 to among other things, raise awareness and positively change attitudes, values and behaviours and mobilise citizens to act in ways that promote peace, harmony; and national development.
Speaking at Tuesday’s inauguration, Gov. Otti said the Abia State Orientation Agency has the mandate to boost the campaign for attitudinal and systemic change in the state.
He described the agency as a strategic initiative of government to encourage value reorientation amongst the people of Abia.
The governor said the agency would serve as an important pillar to strengthen efforts made by government to build a new Abia.
“Leadership is important in achieving socioeconomic transformation, but a citizenry that is not socially responsible is a problem.
“The agency is our latest attempt at hitting the reset button to discard mediocrity and uphold meritocracy.
“Abia will remain unchanged unless we resolve to play by the highest ethics of sound attitude and judgement,’’ Otti said.
He charged the agency to educate Abia people to adopt new behavioural patterns that supported government’s efforts to rebuild the state.
He urged the agency to foster a social culture that would be in in tandem with government’s vision through the use of new and traditional media, town hall meetings and grassroots engagements, among others.
The governor assured that government would provide the necessary support and resources to enable the agency to succeed in the discharge of its mandate.
“You have the duty to enlighten critical stakeholders to make Abia a standard for good governance and responsible citizenship,’’ Otti stressed.
In her remarks, former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, urged the state government to evolve virile policies and create the enabling environment to facilitate the development of Abia.
She urged the governor to be guided by the principle of absolute integrity and uncompromised ethical standards in piloting the affairs of the state.
Ezekwesili also charged the state government to invest Abia’s resources prudently and to create an efficient public financial management system for all of government’s businesses.
Also speaking at the inauguration, Mr Sam Ohuabunwa, former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, noted that Abia had not recorded improvements in indices used in measuring socioeconomic development over the years.
He said the people of Abia had high expectations in the present administration and expressed the hope that the government would live up to expectation.
In his submission, Secretary to the Abia State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, described the task of rebuilding Abia as a collective responsibility for the government and the people of the state.
“We all have a critical role to play in the mission to build a new Abia; therefore all hands must be on deck,’’ he said.
Earlier, Mr Dike Nwankwo, Director-General of the orientation agency, said social reengineering and character remoulding would be central to the discharge of its mandate.
Nwankwo noted that infrastructural development, prompt payment of salaries and pensions as well as making good laws were not enough to change Abia.
“We have a duty to renew our moral values and encourage attitudinal change to achieve the Abia of our dreams,’’ he said.
The inauguration of the agency was part of activities outlined for the commemoration of the 32nd anniversary of the creation of Abia on Aug. 27, 1991.
The anniversary has “Abia: Hitting the Reset Button’’ as its theme. (NAN)
