Nigeria one of vilified, disrespected nations on earth, says NOA DG

The Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari has said that Nigeria is currently one of the most vilified, scrutinized and disrespected nation on earth.

Dr Abari said the ugly situation became unavoidable following the poor attitude of Nigeria to fellow countrymen and others.

Speaking at the Patriotism Orientation Programme tagged ‘Fall in Love with Nigeria: My Role in Making A Nigeria of My Dream’, the NOA boss said social media gives amplitude to the voices of hate, misunderstanding and intolerance which blur the beautiful diversities of Nigeria.

“While we used to be the most respected African nation for obvious reasons, we have gradually become one of the most vilified scrutinized and disrespected nations on earth, largely because of our own poor attitudes to ourselves and others.

“The need, therefore, for a national self-rediscovery is very incumbent on us and it must be on an ongoing basis.

“Our country and its people have in recent times witnessed a disturbing trend in the social and political conversation that sometimes call to question our tradition of friendship, love for neighbour and sense of unity.

This trend seems to suggest that Nigerians have not learnt anything from our history and that the long, well thought out national integration initiatives have not yielded the desired results.

“Government and well-meaning citizens continue to express worry at the level of division and hate that is being expressed in the conventional and social media about us and by us.

“The social media in particular, which is mostly used by our youths, because of its largely uncontrolled nature, gives amplitude to the voices of hate, misunderstanding and intolerance which blur our beautiful diversity for which the world admires our country,” he said.

He said efforts such as this patriotism reorientation programme provide an opportunity for national introspection which facilitates national rebirth and peace.

“In the 2022 edition of the Fall-in-Love with Nigeria patriotism Orientation programme, we have decided to conduct a national competition for our Integrity Clubs established in various Secondary Schools across Nigeria We received entries from over 370 Schools across Nigeria.

“At the end of the evaluation of all the entries, 3 Schools emerged as 1″ 2″ and 30 places National Winners. State 1″ place winning schools also emerged from the 36 States and FCT. Trophies will be given to winning Schools and certificates of participation will be given to all schools who participated, but did not win,” he added.

In his remarks, the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye said anywhere in the world the youth represent the backbone and the engine room of a nation’s socio-economic and political growth and development.

He said the youth represent over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s more than 200 million people and they possess the courage, the energy, and the valour to bring about positive changes in the society if those unique qualities are galvanized in the right direction.

“However, if misguided and abused by disgruntled elements in the society, the youth are capable of causing mayhem, thereby drawing a nation many decades backward. Therefore, any nation that fails to carry its youth along in the process of nation-building, does so at its own peril.

“In realization of this truism, ICPC had introduced many platforms aimed at engaging the youth actively and effectively in the fight against corruption. Notable among the platforms are the Anti-corruption Clubs in Secondary Schools, Anti-corruption Vanguards in tertiary institutions and NYSC Anti-corruption Community Development Service among corps members.

“In all these youth engagement platforms, ICPC has immediate, medium and long term expectations of youths participation in the fight against corruption up to leadership level company to buy or instance, as members of Schools Anti-corruption Clubs in Secondary Schools, we expect that students would desist from telling lies and always do the right thing even when nobody is watching them.

“Between 2003 and now, ICPC had established more than 2000 Anti-corruption Clubs and Vanguards in various secondary schools and Tertiary institutions across the country and in our efforts to effectively engage the clubs and vanguards in the fight against corruption, we organize different types of competition ranging from debate, essay writing and music among the students,” he noted.

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