The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has solicited the support and cooperation of all stakeholders to effectively discharge its constitutional mandate.

The NOA director in Kebbi, Nasiru Karofi, made the plea at a retreat organised for the agency’s staff on the development of the annual operational plan and office management plan 2025 held in Birnin Kebbi on Friday.

“We shall sustain partnerships with government agencies, the media, traditional rulers and religious leaders, and we also need support from all stakeholders.

“The major mandate of NOA is to foster peace and understanding among Nigerians; all stakeholders are indispensable in strengthening social cohesion, unity and economic prosperity of our nation,” he said.

While describing the retreat as a crucial stage for effective and efficient discharge of NOA’s mandate, Mr Karofi said the target objective was to have a robust operational and management plan for 2025.

The director said, “The aim of the retreat is to develop an annual operational plan and office management plan for 2025 for effective service delivery and mandate actualisation.”

On his part, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, a sociologist from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, who is also the special guest, noted that the core values of integrity, truthfulness, respect and transparency constituted the basic foundation for the attainment of greatness of the nation.

“In addition, leaders must also be innovative, creative and imbibe the virtues of support and encouragement to perform.

“Development must start from the grassroots; young men must be productive members of society; they should stop going from office to office, singing praises of leaders.

“NOA should instil the spirit of relevance to make the people different in life; core values must come to the fore: do what is good, avoid what is bad,” he advised.

According to Mr Muhammad-Babab, leaders must not pursue popularity but honesty; this will leave an indelible legacy. “Things are different in Nigeria today,” he said.

“Some of our elites do not believe in or think of Nigeria; they do not believe in the country, unlike the Americans who cherish their nation, with the slogan, ‘America first, love it or leave it.’

“Things are tough in Nigeria, but we have nowhere else to go; we must collectively salvage the nation.

“I am a critic of the government and usually issue statements as the National Publicity of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), critical of the authorities, but there are circumstances of which I commend the government on issues of national interest; I believe in sincerity,” he said.

Also speaking, Abubakar Umar-Babuga, a former state director of NOA, commended the agency for organising the retreat to chart the best course of action for a better nation in 2025.

“Beware that the success of any leader depends on the action of subordinates.

“NOA must perform its role as the vanguard of public enlightenment and education of government policies and programmes to attain growth and development,” Mr Umar-Babuga advised.

(NAN)