The Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari has charged public servants to take advantage of their exposure to build peace in their various communities.

He gave the charge in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory at a one-day sensitization tagged Building a People of Peace: A Workplace Sensitization, organized by NOA for public servants.

Represented by the Director, Planning Research and Strategy, Mr. Bonat Tagwai, Abari said public servants, as the driving force of government, are opinion molders in society because people trust information they give on public matters as authentic. This trust, he said, gives them significant influence at home, worship centres, clubs and other social fora. He therefore urged them to make a commitment to using this influence to build a people of peace in their social circles and harness the inherent advantages in Nigeria’s diversity.

Speaking on the rationale for the sensitization, the NOA Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Malam Jubril Salihu said in the light of rampant and unfortunate divisive language championed by ethnic jingoists across the country, public servants must come alive to their responsibility to be peace ambassadors. He observed that public service exists to foster the developmental objectives of the nation state, hence public servants must place their knowledge and expertise at the disposal of society to be harnessed for the common good.

Presenting a paper, the Director, NOA FCT Directorate, Mr. David Dogo argued that industrial harmony always reflects on overall social harmony, pointing out that without systemic fairness and justice, industrial harmony and, by extension, social harmony would be elusive. He therefore made a case for the promotion of excellence, efficiency, transparency and accountability in service delivery and management of public resources as means of ensuring industrial harmony in the public service.

The Chairman, Gwagwalada Area Council, Hon. Mustapha Adamu Ledi, represented by the Head, Personnel and Management, Mrs. Amina Solomon commended NOA for the initiative of enlisting public servants as peace builders, urging participants to take the message to their various colleagues and organizations.

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