The National Orientation Agency (NOA) says it was collaborating with stakeholders on national infrastructure investment, ownership and protection of public infrastructure.
Garba Abari, NOA’s Director General, said in his address at a one-day stakeholders conference on “Preservation, Protection and Community Ownership of Public Assets and critical Infrastructure” on Thursday in Abuja.
He noted that infrastructure development, preservation and protection were critical element in measuring the level of development of a nation.
“If we accept this as a fact, it then stands to reason that no nation can be said to be truly developed, unless it continues to invest not only in the development of new infrastructure but the protection and preservation of the existing ones.
“The Nigerian government over the years has continued to invest huge resources in building, constructing and maintaining public infrastructure such as bridges, roads electricity, rail tracks etc.
“Most of these infrastructures run through various communities across the country; it is expected that these communities take responsibility for their protection.
“Unless these infrastructures are protected and communities are encouraged to take ownership, the goals intended to be achieved through the current hard work and investments in them may be short live.
“NOA is prepared to synergies with stakeholders in our national infrastructure investments to deploy our offices and messaging platforms in 774 Local Governments and FCT.
“To sensitise Nigerians on ownership and protection of public infrastructure,” Abari said.
Also, Tonnie Iredia, former NOA D-G, said that the most important love a citizen should have for his or her country was patriotism.
“However, I think the greatest national assets are the citizens that make up the country. A hungry man does not know any beautiful infrastructure.
“That is why we normally experience vandalisation of our national assets across the country.
“People are assets that must be preserved; if you ignore them, you have ignored 70 per cent of your assets.
“Similarly, the communities do not know that they have assets because most of them are illiterates.
“NOA have so much to do but challenges such as inadequate resources, ineffectual manpower, over centralisation and ruling class pressure have affected its effectiveness,” Iredia said.
He said the agency should be involve in more mobilisation than town hall meetings stressing that only few people attend such meeting, which may not translate to the needed change.
Mike Omeri, also a former boss of NOA in his remark said the Agency had been facing challenges that had limited its span of activities.
He recommended that the Agency should be moved from the Ministry of Information and Culture to the presidency to ensure it fulfills its mandate.
“NOA should be transform into a ministry of its own or be made a commission under the presidency to enable it create more impact”
