In order to deeply entrench sound ethics and national values in the country, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) must be well funded in the pursuit of the statutory mandate establishing the Agency.
This was the position of the Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Hon. Olusegun Odebunmi when he led other Members of the committee on an oversight visit to the Agency over the 2016 budget implementation.
The Lawmaker noted that with the enormous responsibilities of the Agency in sensitizing, mobilising and creating awareness on government policies and activities, the House Committee will continue to provide all the necessary legislative support toward the realisation of the Agency’s mandate.
The NOA Director General, Garba Abari highlighted the Agency’s 2016 budget performance, noting with regret the inability of the Agency to assess Programmes funds from the 2016 budget, having come under a single capital charge of “construction and provision of office building”.
Abari said the lumping had hampered the programmes implementation of the Agency in the year under review and sought the support of the House Committee in preventing a reoccurrence in the Agency’s 2017 appropriation. “As an important Agency of government, NOA’s greatest need is not buildings but rather programmes” Abari stated.
While commending the activities of the Agency, despite dwindling financial resources, Honourable Members of the House Committee cautioned against spending outside the appropriated budgetary provisions and encouraged the judicious use of allocated funds. They unanimously agreed that for the Agency to effectively propagate the Change agenda across the nooks and crannies of the country, its budget needs to be significantly improved and the capital releases to the Agency must be done as at when due.