The Anambra State Directorate of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Awka has taken its public enlightenment campaigns on the 2023 general elections, National Population and Housing Census and the redesigned naira notes to the door steps of the traditional rulers and motor parks in the three geo political zones of the State.

 

Speaking when he led management team on advocacy visit to the traditional ruler of Nnokwa Community in Idemili South Local Government Area, Igwe Emmanuel Ajamma at his Palace, the State Director, National Orientation Agency, NOA, Barrister Charles Nwoji, explained that the essence of the visit was to intimate the traditional rulers in the State on what is expected of them in the forthcoming general elections, National Population and Housing Census as well as the activities behind the redesigned naira notes by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

 

The NOA State Director, Barrister Nwoji, who spoke through the Deputy-Director Programmes in the Agency, Sir Joseph Uchendu, described traditional rulers as critical stakeholders in making the three national events huge success in the State.

 

He pleaded with the traditional rulers and other major stakeholders in the State to mobilize their subjects and enlighten them on the need to go to the nearest commercial banks to deposit the old naira notes that are still in their hands on or before thirty first of this month.

 

He equally, advised the electorate in the State to take the advantage of the extension of the date for the collection of the Permanent Voter Cards exercise by INEC to go to the Local Government Areas where they were registered to collect their PVCs and make themselves available on the election days to cast their votes to the candidates of their choice.

 

While advising the people to also participate actively in the National Population and Housing Census slated to start on twenty ninth of March this year, the NOA Boss, Barrister Nwoji, also informed the people that the essence of redesigning the naira notes by CBN was to checkmate the circulation of counterfeits and hoarding of the naira notes by a few individuals in the country to the detriment of the greater percentage of Nigerians and the Nation’s economy.

 

Receiving the NOA Boss and his team in his palace, the traditional ruler of Nnokwa Community, Igwe Ajamma, lauded the efforts of NOA in communicating government programmes , activities and policies in the State, assuring the leadership of the Agency that he would ensure that the messages of the three national events get down to the grassroots in the area and across the state to achieve the set goals .

 

At the Nkpor Central Park, in Idemili North Local Government Area, the NOA State Director, while addressing motorists, commuters and the traders around the park, reiterated call on the people to work towards building a new Nigeria they desired by participating actively in the general elections, Census and as well accept the new redesigned naira notes as legal tender in the country.

 

In their separate remarks, Mr Shadrack Nwalor, a bus driver and Mr Emmanuel Alor, a tricycle driver, wondered why the commercial banks in the country have continued to dispense the old naira notes to the people, calling on the appropriate authorities in the country to compel the Central Bank of Nigeria to dispense more of the new naira notes before phasing out the old one in circulation to save the people from untold hardship.