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  • NOA deploys WAI brigade to enforce COVID-19 protocols

    NOA deploys WAI brigade to enforce COVID-19 protocols

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    The National Orientation Agency, NOA,  Director General, Dr. Garba Abari has disclosed that his agency has already dispatched the War Against Indiscipline Brigade of the agency to the communities to enforce Nigerians  to comply with the COVID-19 prevention protocols.

    This was contained in a press release signed by Paul Odenyi, Assistant Director, Press of NOA made available to Daybreak today.

    According to the release, Abari the move was necessary to checkmate a further prevalence of the virus during the Yuletide season as Nigerian records 758 new cases of COVID-19.
    The message read, “With 758 new COVID-19 cases in Nigeria and a total of 74,132 confirmed cases, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has warned Nigerians against non-adherence to the prevention protocols of facemask wearing, regular hand washing and physical distancing during the Christmas and New Year period.”

    He stressed that the public should take personal responsibility for their own protection from the pandemic and that of their families, noting that the increasing COVID-19 figures in Nigeria are the result of non-compliance to prevention protocols.

    Abari advised the public to obey  the recent End-of-Year Travel Advisory on COVID-19 issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC,  which urges Nigerians to limit all non-essential travel, especially from high risk countries.

    Abari said,  “While we celebrate in this Christmas and New Year season, Nigerians should not lose sight of the real and present danger of COVID-19 in our communities. Our country and our loved ones need us alive and healthy in the coming year.””  Therefore, we should limit person-to-person contact by practicing physical distancing. Similarly, the constant wearing of facemask in public and regular hand washing/sanitization should be non-negotiable”.

    According to the statement, the DG has directed   all State Directors and Community Orientation and Mobilization Officers, COMOs,  of the Agency to visit Churches, Mosques, traditional rulers and community gatherings in their respective States and communities, in the coming week leading up to Christmas, to sustain the sensitization on COVID-19 prevention. In addition, he said where any State Director or COMO is denied access to any of these locations for sensitization, such officer is to issue a clearly worded letter to the leadership of such organization communicating the dangers of non-compliance to COVID-19 protocols in their organization and copying same to the Agency’s National Headquarters

    He also called on Churches, Mosques, traditional rulers, community leaders and social organizations to ensure that COVID-19 prevention protocols are strictly complied with in all programmes and activities within their purview during the yuletide.

  • NOA, NBTS take blood drive to grassroots

    NOA, NBTS take blood drive to grassroots

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    As a way of debunking the cultural myth surrounding blood donation, the National Orientation Agency, NOA, and the National Blood Transfusion Service, NBTS, is set to take blood drive to the grassroots through deep advocacy to traditional and religious leaders across the country.

    In a press release signed by Mr Paul Odenyi, Assistance Director, Press of NOA, the Director General of NOA, Dr. Garba Abari made this known when the NBTS Coordinator Dr Omale Joseph Amadu paid him a working visit in his office in Abuja.
    Abari said that many Nigerian are not aware of the health benefits of blood donation while some who are aware refrain from donating because of the strongly held beliefs and practices.

    This he said has led to to the huge avoidable loss of lives in times of emergency.
    He said , ” The issues of cultural and religious beliefs that are inimical to voluntary blood donation must be addressed and changed bin order to encourage people to donate and access age blood.

    ” Some of these beliefs and practices are not scientifically bases and so they have to be re- examined and in order to do that traditional rulers and religious leaders must be involved. Also the benefits of voluntary blood donation need to be properly articulated to adequately mobilize citizens to donation, Abari said.

    The NBTS National Coordinator Dr. Amedu said the mandate of the Service is to provide quality and adequate supplies of safe blood in adequate and cost effective manner to all people resident in Nigeria.
    He lamented that the low lei of voluntary blood donation in Nigeria attributing it largely to inhibiting cultural and religious moms.

    He disclosed that plans are underway to increase the number of centres from 17 to make room for more centres in order to make safe blood services available to Nigerians.

    He said that the NBTS was counting on NOA support to amplify blood safety messages and blood donation advocacy in the country in line with the third global Sustainable development Goals , SDG3.

  • Circulating Safety tips on rainstorm is fake, NOA warns

    Circulating Safety tips on rainstorm is fake, NOA warns

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    The Director General of the National Orientation Agency, (NOA) Dr. Garba Abari has warned the public to beware of a fake public alert on safety tips during rainstorm.
    Abari said that the safety tips on rainstorm circulating on the social media was not issued by the agency as the public is made to believe.
    In a statement issued by NOA, signed by Paul Odenyi, Assistant Director, Press, read, the Agency would want to make it clear that the alert on safety tips was not issued by the Agency and does not allign with our operational procedure. “Our procedure require that relevant government Agencies issue a warning and seek NOA”s intervention to take to a wider public.

    “The notice itself does not conform with known scientific evidence on safety during rainstorm and therefore misleading” he added.

    NOA therefore appeals to Nigerians to ignore the message as it is the handiwork of merchants of fake news for which the Agency has committed man hour and resources to preach against.

    The NOA boss urged all Nigerians to join the fight against fake news and hate speech.

  • Spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria due to careless attitude of citizens- NOA

    Spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria due to careless attitude of citizens- NOA

    …as Nasarrawa youths enforce removal of face masks

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    As Nigerians begin to enjoy the 4th and 5th ease of lockdown , Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr Garba Abari has attributed the soaring cases of COVID-19 pandemic in the country to the increasing careless attitude of citizens.
    Abari said this at a recent press conference held in Abuja at the agency’s observation report 9n the 4th and 5th sensitization interventions against the COVID-19 disease in the country.
    The NOA stated that in Nasarrawa State, youths go about forcing people to remove their face masks, because according to them the virus is not real.
    He said, ” Even as the ease of lockdown continued, we noted the rapid spread of the disease to our communities because of the careless attitude of many Nigerians and inability to observe the safety protocol established by
    both the government and health sector experts.

    He noted that the implications is that most Nigerians have let off guard on COVID-19

    According to Abari, based on these observation by the agency has kick-started which includes five sensitization interventions since the pandemic entered the community transmission éra.
    He said,” NOA has started sensitization interventions in 19 states in the first phase and the 2nd interventions in the remaining 18 states.
    The campaign is to bring awareness of the disease to the people. Late June we took sensitization to Bauchi, Edo, FCT, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Lagos and Ogun States, adding that the message is to propagate healthy measures.
    Abari disclosed that the agency is working on a 4 plan interventions across the country, adding that the
    latest activity of the Agency at the community level is the 774 LG sensitization.
    ” This is the most widespread part of the campaign which targets schools, markets, and places of worship. Though markets and places of worship have been partially opened, we continue to emphasis the
    precautionary measures including the need to put in place hand sanitizers.”
    we believed that providing enough information about the disease, methodology of spread and how to stop the spread will help communities so affected to take the required precaution and thereby cut down on the rate of infections
    in these communities. Communicating the right messages is key to- reducing infection in our communities.

    The fourth intervention was devoted to advocacy sensitization to community influencers including Traditional rulers and Religious Leaders and is still on going.

    We have fully covered 26 states while reports of the remaining 10 states are on the way. The ideas behind this approach is to bring home the message through those who are influential in communities.

    He who urged on religious leaders to ensure strict compliance to safety guidelines , as he said, ” we want our religious leaders to sanction those who do not observe safety practices in their domain.

    Meanwhile, the NOA boss lamented that in Edo and Ondo States prepare for their upcoming election there is high rate of non compliance particularly in social distancing
    He said, ” In Edo and Ondo where political activities are in their peak, we see a breach of guidelines as we keep watching the events.”

  • NOA charges parents, teachers on digital literacy skills for students

    NOA charges parents, teachers on digital literacy skills for students

    The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Ebonyi has charged teachers, educators and social workers to help in equipping students with digital literacy skills in order to create a better internet society.

    The State Director of the agency, Dr Emma Abah, gave the charge on Tuesday in Abakaliki at a ceremony to mark “Safer Internet Day”, celebrated every February 11.

    The event, which is celebrated in 141 countries, has the theme, “Together for a Better Internet.”

    The day was designed to initiate a conversation about safety, responsible use of technology and inspire young people to create a better internet for the future.

    Abah said that digital literacy skills would also help to develop the students’ critical thinking skills, which would enable them to better navigate through the online world.

    “NOA has continued with its sensitisation and re-orientation on the need to create safer cyberspace for everyone, while all of us must contribute to this laudable programme.

    An Assistant Director, NOA, Mr Anthony Uguru, said that the United Nations Children’s Fund stated that one in every three internet users globally are children.

    “For children, digital technologies are the norm by which they connect, socialise, improve their skills and expand their horizons.

    “NOA urges internet users to enjoy this rights in a responsible manner.

    “It is important, when considering the right of children, who are vulnerable and depend on adults to safeguard them,” Uguru said.

    The Chairman, Secondary Education Board in the state, Dr Elizabeth Ezeanyim, commended stakeholders in the education sector and participants at the programme.

    Ezeanyim, who was represented by Mr Roy Okwuoma, a member of the board, said that there was an urgent need to promote safer online technology among children and young people, since there was no restriction and control of information with services available online.

    The Principal, Girls’ High School, Azuiyiokwu, Abakaliki, Mrs Catherine Onwuegbuna, recommended frequent supervision and guidiance over the use of the internet by children.

    Miss Precious Ugbala and Praise Akuma, both senior students of the school, advised on the need for continuous public enlightenment on proper use of the internet.

    Ugbala further said that the awareness should concentrate on encouraging parents not to allow even their 18-years-old children to misuse the Internet.

    “I believe that we suffer most times because we lack the knowledge and we misuse it because we do not know the importance. (NAN)

  • Ebonyi NOA, UNICEF move to raise awareness on safe practices for healthy living

    Ebonyi NOA, UNICEF move to raise awareness on safe practices for healthy living

    By Our Reporter

    The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Ebonyi, in conjunction with the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), has embarked on programmes to raise people’s consciousness on essential safe practices for healthy living.
    The state Director of NOA, Dr Emma Abah, said this on Friday in Ezza-South Local Government Area (LGA) during a one-day Forum of Community Governance Structure for Ebonyi Central Senatorial District.
    Abah said that the department of Communication for Development, a unit in UNICEF, identified the lack of knowledge and ignorance as two factors responsible for health challenges in the state.
    He said that the forum aimed at raising consciousness of safe practices among residents.
    He further said that high rate of poor hygiene, handwashing, poor environmental sanitation, poor exclusive breast feeding, issue of open defecation, harmful practices done in the secret, among others, were discovered in the state.
    He said that bad practices were increasing the health hazards in the state, adding that the department had resolved to enlighten families and communities in the state to be properly informed about good practices.
    He said: “UNICEF supported NOA to carryout this programme and the discussions are centered on the health of women, children and most difficult health challenges in the communities.
    “UNICEF had discovered that money and food were not the major problem of the people but ignorance and lack of knowledge was noticed.
    “That is why they decided to go to grassroots to identify the health challenges people suffer.
    “The programme is also centered on bringing essential family practices that are very necessary for the existence of any family or society.
    “They observed that without communication and enlightement, development will not thrive.”
    Abah encouraged communities to own the programme, saying that any community without human development had yet to attain and sustain growth.
    “Only those in the community know the problems of their domain,” he said.
    The NOA boss said that monitoring and evaluation units of the agency and the independent monitors of UNICEF would ensure the campaign was carried out at the grassroots effectively.
    He also said that the governance structure, development unions and the traditional rulers council would be made to include the campaign in their monthly meetings.
    Abah urged government to provide more conveniences in public places, including markets and schools, in order to bring the desired change for safe practices for good health and development.
    Meanwhile, the Town Union President of Ndiaguahara Community in Ikwo LGA, Mr Patrick Ugbuloke, blamed most things that posed health challenge in the area on ignorance.
    “As a community leader, it our duty to ensure that essential family practices was driven to the grassroots level effectively,” Ugbuloke said.
    Two traditional rulers at the forum, Eze Martin Nweke (Echara Autonomous Community) and Eze Joseph Igweonwe (Amuda Autonomous Community) thanked the organisers of the event and promised to take the message down to their communities.
    The theme of the forum was “Working with Community Governance Forum to increase the number of mothers, caregivers and other community members with knowledge of at least five per cent of UNICEF Essential Family Practices to 85 per cent. (NAN)