Imported User:
Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri has identified sports as a veritable tool for resolving security challenges in the country, stressing that it has the potential of bringing people together, fostering unity, understanding, tolerance and love among people, which according to him are essential ingredients in ending the insurgence of bombings by Boko Haram.
Omeri, who was the chief jogger of the one-day monthly keep fit, walking and jogging exercise of civil servants organised by the Federation of Public Service Games (FEPSGA) with the theme ‘doing the right things, transform Nigeria’, told LEADERSHIP SPORTSthat his agency has started seeing sports as a platform for orientation and would do all within its power to inculcate the spirit of sportsmanship in an average Nigerian, adding that NOA under his leadership is now prepared and determined to mobilise Nigerians to embrace government policies and programmes and respect the ethical norms and values of the country.
He said ‘doing the right things, transform Nigeria’ theme for the May 2012 edition of the monthly keep fit, walking and jogging exercise was adopted after a carefuly review of events. “Doing the right things, transform Nigeria is a theme that came out of a careful review of events. We need Nigerians to do the right things. If we do the right thing, we wouldn’t be corrupt and engage in other social vices. Doing the right things is a child from the National Orientation Agency. It is brain drive from our mandate to be the custodial of our norm and value and national ethics. We are charging Nigerians to be patriotic and join hands transform Nigeria. “There is an opportunity in sporting activities because it bring individuals and groups of different religions, social classes, age and ethnic backgrounds together to interact and to get them acquainted with each other in order to promote peace, love and harmony.
“There are quite a number of civil servants taking part in this monthly keep fit exercise. I have seen the confidentiality and the team spirit among Nigerians. So, we are using the platform to re-enforce and appeal to Nigerians to be courageous, remain steadfast, and look forward to a better day. We are not deterred by the spirit of bombing and physical challenge facing us, because it will soon go away but with our collective effort. We are appealing to those who are moved by this spirit of bombing to sheath their sword and embrace dialogue. Let Boko Haram do the right thing by embracing dialogue with government,” he stated.
