The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said Wednesday that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given the ministry a matching order to ensure that Nigerians believe in the country once again.
The minister, who disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting with the President, said there have been concerns about the decline in patriotism and the spread of misinformation in the country.
“Mr President has given me a match in order to see that Nigerians believe in this country once again, we’re coming up with national discourse on orientation or reorientation. So that Nigerians can believe in their country.
“You know that people don’t believe even the leaders that they themselves have elected. Flags are not flying anymore. You go to government offices overseas, you don’t even see the symbol of our collective existence, flying even in public buildings.
“We’re bringing that back; we are bringing back this concept of discipline that Nigerians should have: patriotism, belief in the nationhood that our founding fathers have told us.
“So, it is going to be a new Ministry of Information and National Orientation, and national orientation is going to be at the center of it.
“The national orientation agency has offices in the 774 LGAs. Of course there’s attrition now, not all the people that will man these local government offices are there, but we are rebuilding that.
“We are going to post officers to all the 774 LGAs and we are coming up with your roadmap that will revamp that sector so that Nigerians can believe in their country once again.
“It is in the works. I have discussed that with Mr. President. He wants to see me come up with a roadmap for how we are going to work on that and in due course you will get to have definite answers,” he said.
On the commitment to promote responsible journalism in the country, the minister said the President is dedicated to press freedom.
“But like I said all the time, this freedom also comes with enormous responsibility. You can’t just say what is not right, because you’re enjoying press freedom. There’ll be freedom. But that will be responsible freedom.”
The minister the ministry would extend national reorientation to all the 774 local governments in the country.
He said the ministry intends to carry out a nationwide discourse make Nigerians believe in their country once again.
