Ado-Ekiti, Nov. 24, 2023 – The Federal Government is to launch a national lifestyle charter which will define the responsibilities of government and expectations from citizens.
Mallam Isa Onilu, the Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), said this during a working to the office of the agency in Ekiti State.
He said the national life charter was aimed at instituting a social contract between the government and the citizens.
Under the charter, the citizens will expect certain things from government and government will in turn will expect certain thins from the people.
“As of today, we don’t have a definitive statement on who we are. We have a national anthem and we all know it. In the same way, you must be able to define who the citizens of your country are supposed to be.
“What are the principles that we have put in place as Nigeria to say this is how we are or who we are as Nigerians? So, these principles have to be spelt out so that we are not in doubt as to what is expected of us as citizens.
“So, it’s the commonality of those features that make us unique citizens and make us different from other countries. We must know who we are and what constitutes a Nigerian so that anybody who steps out of that can say he or she is not a good Nigerian.
Onilu said there was the need for Nigerians to have a set of values that would be instilled in the people like honesty, integrity, patriotism, obedience, unity, discipline, and tolerance
He said that Nigeria could not achieve meaningful progress unless the citizens made these virtues part of their lifestyle and guiding principles.
“Our lifestyles are not cultism, banditry, drug abuse, hooliganism and kidnapping. Our lifestyles are honesty and handwork but we lost our way. And if you are in a state of despair, you may lose hope.
“But now, the new administration is bringing renewed hope and that means we have to go back to who we are.
“We are not creating any new Nigeria. We are going back to real Nigeria. We must know who we are and what constitutes a Nigerian so that anybody who steps out of that you can say he or she is not a good Nigerian.” (GBN)
