By Giovanni Emephia
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza says the socio-economic situation of the country has become dire, advising the National Orientation Agency, NOA, to devise means of strategic orientation to ensure that citizens do not become restive on account of the current economic challenges.
Dr. Osuoza described the current economic hardship as capable of driving citizens into extreme restiveness. He charged the Orientation Agency to develop orientation strategies that would reassure citizens of efforts being put in place by the government to ameliorate their plight.
“Some countries do not even suffer this much hardship before their citizens revolt and pour into the streets in protests. There have been demonstrations in some countries due to the hike in the prices of bread.” “But we thank God that Nigeria is not that volatile,” he said.
He commended the efforts of NOA and the Delta State Orientation Bureau for their efforts at sensitizing the people, and for their programmes aimed at re-orienting the values of the people of the state.
The Information Commissioner assured the Federal Agency of support in the area of publicity through the state-owned media. He advised NOA to collaborate with the state Bureau of Orientation in fulfilling its mandate.
Speaking earlier, the State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Mrs. Tracy Ikolomi stated that the purpose of the visit was to “chart ways for mutual collaboration, partnership, and synergy in fulfilling our mandate…” , noting that the primary objective was to “sensitize and mobilize the people for behavioural and attitudinal change , making them to respond positively to the government’s activities, policies and programmes with credible feedback to the government.”
She, therefore, appealed for assistance in the sponsorship of citizen-based collaborative programmes as well as television/radio programmes to reach out more extensively to Deltans.
