NOA Takes Anti Cultism, Social Vices Campaign To LASPOTECH

The Youths are the backbone and strength of any nation and it is important to ensure that students are sensitized and encouraged to shun all forms of social vices and imbibe desirable behaviours necessary for national development”. That was the charge by the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari at a One-day nationwide Attitudinal Re-orientation programme for Students in Tertiary Institution, organized by National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with International Organization for Migration (IOM), held on Wednesday, the 28^th of April, 2021 at the Agricultural Technology Auditorium, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, Lagos.

In his remarks, the Director General who was represented by the Director, NOA Lagos Directorate, Mr. Waheed Ishola said that the Agency had over the years implemented same programmes in over 50 higher institutions across the six geo-political zones of the country. This he said had become highly imperative due to the myriads of vices that had bedeviled the Nigerian tertiary institutions, such as: Cultism, Examination Malpractices, Drugs and Substance Abuse, Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons, Sexual and Gender Based Violence etc. He further gave the objectives of the programmes as:

To re-awaken the consciousness of students of tertiary institutions on the need to embrace the national core values.
To create sustainable synergy between the Agency and tertiary institutions for values re-orientation.

He urged the students and all in attendance to embrace the core values as enshrined in chapter 2, section 23 of the constitution and work to ensure a moral society to be proud of.

On her part, the Senior Project Assistant, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Ms. Adaora Okoli said that the Organisation is committed to fighting irregular migration and that to-date, they had assisted and helped over 21,500 stranded migrants to return to Nigeria. She defined irregular migration as movement of persons that takes place outside the laws, regulations or international agreements of the state of origin, transit or destination while Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit. She appealed to the students to be focused in their studies and shun the subtle deception of agents to traffic them out.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Director, NOA Lagos Directorate, Mr. Waheed Ishola said that the programmes carefully designed to address the destructive social vices which had found their new abodes in the tertiary institutions. He said the Agency is determined to stem the tides by ensuring the continuous engagements with the students of tertiary institutions towards building an ethically sound society. The Director commended and appreciated the management of Lagos State Polytechnic for the warm reception granted to the Agency in having the programme hosted in the school. He tasked the students pay particular attention to all papers and make good use of the opportunity.

Declaring the programme open, the chairman of the occasion, HRM Oba (Engr.) Basiru Aremu Sotonwa, Osomekun 1, The Sekumade of Ipakodo, Ikorodu, Lagos, commended the organizers for the programme. He noted that it was very essential taking it to tertiary institution but appealed that a similar programme be taken to primary and secondary schools because studies had shown that most of the social vices starts from the homes due to lack of proper parental cares.

Other speakers at the event were:

The Representative of Lagos State Commissioner of Police, DCP (Admin), Bassey Ewah; Representative of EFCC, Head Public Affairs, Mr. Ayo Oyewole; Area Commander, NDLEA Ikorodu Area Command, Mr. Lawal i. Opeloyeru; Representative of JAMB Lagos Office, Oluwayemisi Otumor; Former Dean Student Affairs, Mr. I. Gbolagade Omolumo; Bishop (Prof.) Rufus Oguntuwase; Representative of Lagos State Aids Control Agency (Governor’s office) Mr. Michael Essien, HIV Prevention Team Lead; Representative, NAPTIP Lagos Zonal Command, Mr. Fred Uche Oko; Representative of the Rector, Dr. Adesoye Adegoke; Lagos Representative, Gender Mobile Initiative, Mr. Iben-Chinua Phillip; amongst others.

With the observance of the Covid-19 protocols, over 300 students filled the 500-seating capacity auditorium.