In order to achieve full understanding of all government activities and policies, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), has said that the agency will expand its sensitization programmes to include activities of the Legislative Assemblies in line with its mandate to communicate government programmes, policies and activities.
Director-General of the Agency, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, stated this while receiving members of Hallomace Foundation Africa who came on a courtesy visit.
Issa-Onilu, in a statement by the agency Assistant Director of Press, Mr. Paul Odenyi, said the three arms of government should benefit from the work of the Agency because it is spelt out in the establishing law and underscore the inseparable nature of the three arms of government.
He said: “The same way we develop sensitization programmes for government ministries and policies is the way we are expected to develop and engage on behalf of the legislature on issues affecting them.
“The problem we have in government communication is that we wait to inform the people about the input and not the processes that led to big figures that they hear about government business.
“I hear that there is a lot of dust about the vehicles to be procured for legislators at the national assembly. We need to engage the people on why those vehicles are important. Are they pleasure cars or work tools? We have to communicate that to the people,” he said.
He promised to partner with Hallomace Foundation Africa in their work to publicize the activities of the Legislature and engage with the public on the operation and processes of the legislature. “We will improve on the existing partnership to first of all, make the proposed legislative conference a success” he added.
Also speaking, Executive Director of the Foundation, Anderson Osiebe, who led the team had explained that the organization has over the last eight years promoted the activities of the legislative and asked for support from the Agency to do more.
