President Buhari set to launch "Change Begins with Me Campaign" on Thursday...

Abuja – In a bid to entrench the values of accountability, integrity
and inculcate positive attitudinal change in Nigerians, the Federal
Government is set to launch the “Change Begins With Me’’
campaign.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and
the Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Garba
Abari, made this known in Abuja.
They said that the campaign was aimed at educating and
enlightening Nigerians to appreciate these values which, they noted,
are critical to achieving comprehensive national development.
According to them, the campaign is expected to trigger positive
change that will boost Nigeria’s image, enable the country gain
acceptability and command respect in the comity of nations.
The minister said that President Muhammadu Buhari would launch
the programme on Thursday in Abuja.

“About three to five years back now, the role models in the society
were people of doubtful character.
“Money was worshipped; nobody cared where and how one got the
money; these are the misplaced values that we are tackling now.’’
He said that the campaign would involve every Nigerian and address
the shortcomings of every profession and jobs.
Mohammed said that the campaign would also feature slogans that
could be easily assimilated by the people, in order to correct
identified ills in the society.
“We believe that what is wrong with Nigeria is not limited to the
elite, the political class and the civil service; if we want that change,
therefore, it must address all the issues and target every strata of
the society.’’
Mohammed said that the campaign was not a replication of the
“War Against Indiscipline’’ which the Buhari-led military
administration initiated in 1983 but that it would achieve the same
goal using a different means.
“In 1983, they used what they had to achieve what they wanted,
which was to correct the decadence in society, tackle corruption and
impunity.
“However, in the area of enforcement, people alleged infractions and
intimidation.
“But here, we are going to use the media to appeal to people. We
are going to use persuasion, instead of coercion and intimidation.
“Our various platforms will be radio, television, print media, bill
boards, social media and the like.
“Part of our campaign will also be concerts which will be sponsored
by people in the private sector.’’
The minister, therefore, solicited the support of the private sector
towards the success of the campaign.
Mohammed said that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) would
be the flagship body driving the campaign, to ensure that it gets to
the grassroots.
He further said that NOA had the duty to its success in states local
government areas and schools, while traditional rulers and leaders
of faith organisations were also expected participated actively in
driving the campaign.
In a separate interview, the NOA director-general noted that the
programme was also aimed at fighting corruption and encouraging
peaceful co-existence in the country.
He said it was regrettable that corruption had done a lot of damage
to every sphere of the country.
“The Fight against corruption must not begin with the government;
people must be in the vanguard of fighting corruption.
“Our schools, roads, hospitals should have been better than what
they are now, but corruption has stalled their development.
“What would you say about a woman who uses chemical to
forcefully ripen banana and sell it to the public; what about a
woman who would use a padded `mudu’ to sell rice.
“A petrol attendant who would claim not to have change so that the
buyer would leave the change; all these are corruption,’’ Abari said.
He noted that lecturers in tertiary institutions also engaged in
corrupt practices by selling handouts to students, while lazy
students also cut corners by selling their bodies and giving money
to pass examinations.
According to him, the change must start at the individual level and
inevitably extend to the society and country at large.
“Nobody is happy with the way corruption has relegated the country
to its present situation.
“We, the citizens, must take a second hard look at what we did
wrong that we will not do tomorrow.
“The change must start with the people in the little things they do in
their families, place of work and responsibilities,’’ Abari said.