By Celestine Afokobah
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) Delta State Directorate has been called upon to sustain the existing cordial relationship with its parent Ministry; Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in the State.
The Delta State Head of Centre, Federal Information Centre (FIC), Mr. Felix Ijomah made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to the State Director of NOA, Mr. Chris Anyabuine and his Management team at the Asaba Headquarters office.
According to Ijomah, “the merger of the Federal Ministry of Information and the defunct Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Orientation has become part of Public Communication Department which now bears Public Communication and National Orientation which is the department supervising the operations of the Federal Information Centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) offices.
The Delta State FIC Head of Centre noted that while the mandate of the FIC was to gather information and forward to the Abuja Headquarters, and also presents feedback reports, NOA was mostly concerned with mobilizations, the sensitisation, advocacy, creating awareness, campaigns regarding government policies and programmes.
He called on NOA to avail FIC Asaba office the opportunity to be part of their media related activities by inviting the office to be part of their Sensitisation campaigns.
Responding, the State Director of NOA, Mr. Chris Anyabuine, who welcomed Mr. Felix Ijomah, noted that NOA, in carrying out its mandate in the State since inception, has continuously maintained strong collaboration with Federal Information Centre Asaba.
Anyabuine outlined some of the Agency’s mandate to include; Sensitisation of citizens on government programmes and policies, creating awareness on government developmental programmes and policies, campaigns on citizens’ positive attitudinal change, orientation of citizens regarding their constitutional civic duties and responsibilities such as registration and collection of voters Card, National Identification Number (NIN) registration and also carrying out feedback reports to both the Federal and State governments concerning the perception of the people regarding government programmes and policies.
He disclosed that the Agency has staff in all the 25 local government areas in the State and maintains partnership with both local, international organisations, NGOs and civil society organisations. Adding that, NOA partners with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Diseaster Management in the implementation of the latter’s programmes such as the youth N-Power programme among others.
The courtesy visit was attended by the top management of both Offices including two Deputy Directors, Comrade Mrs. Tracy Ikolomi and Mrs. Patricia Umunna as well as the HODs Accounts Mrs. Isioma Nwabuzor among other management staff.
The high point of the visit was a presentation of NOA’s campaign and Sensitisation flyers to the Head of Centre FIC Asaba by the NOA State Director with a promise that FIC Asaba will be carried along in their programmes in the State.
Written by:
Celestine Afokobah
FIC Asaba.