‘For social contract’ — Issa-Onilu says Tinubu will soon unveil value charter for Nigerians

Lanre Issa-Onilu, the director-general (DG) of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), says President Bola Tinubu will soon unveil a national value charter for Nigerians.

Speaking in Akure, the capital of Ondo, on Tuesday, Issa-Onilu said the value charter is aimed at instituting “a social contract where the citizens and the government.

“The country has imposed certain responsibilities on the citizens but the citizens also expect certain benefits from the country,” he said.

“So, it is a two-way thing and all along, all we had in the past was ‘Change Begins with Me’, but change can’t begin with you when you don’t have any expectations.

“So, the National Life Charter or National Value Charter is to institute a social contract where the citizens have certain expectations of the country and the country can now say, these are the responsibilities that we want from you as Nigerians. 

“What President Bola Tinubu is saying is that we want patriotic Nigerians, good followers but at the same time, the country must play its role and this is not just going to be written in the book or constitution. It has to be well spelt out.”

He said the charter is not just a document but a call to action for all Nigerians to “embrace the values of tolerance, respect, and understanding that are essential for building a just and equitable society”.

“So, as we are today if you post the question to anybody who is a Nigerian? There is no clear definition of who a Nigerian is and citizens from country to country aren’t the same. So, something must define us,” he said. 

“So, the national value system that the president will be unveiling is going to speak to those promises that the country is making because the American dream is over a hundred years old.

“So, no matter what political party brings any government to power, those promises must be kept and that’s what the citizens look up to and it is because of that, they are making sacrifices and carrying out their responsibilities. 

“Because it is going to be unveiled by the president, I am not going to spill many details. We are still in the kitchen, we are cooking and this will be ready soon and the country will serve a very delicious meal.”