FG launches National Lifestyle Charter to define obligations of government and citizens
The federal government will develop a national lifestyle charter that will define the government’s responsibilities and the public’s expectations.
The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Isa Oniru, announced the plan during a working visit to Ekiti State.
Mr. Oniru said the Charter was designed to create a social contract between the government and the people, in which the people have certain expectations of the country and the country has set expectations of what it expects from Nigerians. He said he would provide an overview.
He said the Charter is not just a document but a framework for action, emphasizing the core values necessary to foster a patriotic society that supports sustainable growth and development.
“As of today, we do not have a clear statement of who we are. We have a national anthem and everyone knows it. You have to be able to define who it should be,” Oniru said.
“What are the principles that we have set as a Nigeria to say this is who we are or who we are as Nigerians? Therefore, we have to question what is expected of us as a people. These principles need to be made clear in order to avoid having one.
“In short, it is these shared characteristics that make us a unique people and different from other countries. We have to make sure that someone who steps outside of that can say that he or she is not a good Nigerian.”
The Director-General identified several values that need to be instilled in the people to build a fair and stable nation, including honesty, integrity, patriotism, obedience, unity, discipline and tolerance.
He stressed that meaningful progress cannot be achieved unless Nigerians embrace these values and incorporate them into their daily lives.
Mr. Oniru lamented the loss of core values in Nigeria due to moral decadence and said the importance of reinvigorating lost national values as they are the missing link creating moral decadence in the country. , said that they are closely related.
“Our lifestyle is not cultism, banditry, drug abuse, hooliganism or kidnapping. Our lifestyle is honest and hardworking, but we have lost our way,” Onilu said.
He noted the importance of reaffirming Nigeria’s true identity and reminding the people of what it means to be a Nigerian.
“We are not creating a new Nigeria. We are going back to the real Nigeria. We have to know who we are and what Nigerians are. Yes. Then someone who steps outside of that can say that he or she is not a good Nigerian.”
Source: guardian.ng