First Stanza Of National Anthem To Be Rendered At Official Functions —NOA
THE National Orientation Agency, NOA, has announced that the Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved its memoranda seeking to entrench value orientation.
Speaking on Tuesday through the
Director of Human Resources of NOA, Mrs. Olowoyo Ayesola, the
Director General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, told journalists in Lagos that FEC sanctioned the first stanza of the national anthem for rendition at official functions, while the three stanzas should be for special occasions.
According to NOA, these occasions included Independence Day, Democracy day, Inauguration of the National Assembly, Children’s day, Armed Forces remembrance Day and workers day.
Mrs. Ayesola added that citizenship study would also be made a compulsory component of the education system from primary to secondary school.
Her words: “In the last two weeks, NOA has achieved some milestone in its bid to re-engineer the focus of its campaigns nationwide. As you may be aware, we have been advocating for a fundamental approach to value orientation and attitudinal change campaign.
“Whereas slogans are good for the ear, it does not entrench these values in our hearts. The act that established the agency makes it clear what our mandates are, including communicating government policies, programmes and activities; mobilising support for them and processing feedback to government on these policies.
“It also mandates us to promote democracy as the best model of government and promote values that will ensure peace and orderliness and moral conduct. Over the years, especially in the last one year, we have pursued these mandates with extra vigour.
“In collaboration with our parent ministry, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, the agency submitted for the consideration of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, some proposals seeking to entrench our value orientation processes. Many of them deal with young age indoctrination, providing the template for evaluation of the Real Nigerian character. All of the memoranda were approved by the FEC.
“They include restoration of the dignity and standardisation of national Symbols such as the National Flag, Anthem, Pledge and the Coat of Arm. under this, the Council approved that the first stanza of the National Anthem should be rendered at all official functions, while the three stanzas should be for special occasions such as Independence Day, Democracy day, Inauguration of the National Assembly, Children’s day, Armed Forces remembrance Day and workers day. That the third stanza of the new National Anthem be adopted as national prayer.”
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