By Jude Michael
The Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, has pledged to support the state’s Civic and Social Reformation Agency, to enable it to deliver on its mandate in line with what he called the Solution Agenda of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s Administration.
The Commissioner made the pledge while receiving the Managing Director of the Agency, Sir Chuka Nnabuife, who was in his office at Jerome Udoji Secretariat, Awka, on Friday 4th October, for a familiarization visit.
The Commissioner, who described the emergence of the Agency as apt and fundamental, expressed disgust over the rate of drug abuse, moral and value decadence in present Nigerian society.
‘I’m aware that we’ve a problem with today’s youths, Anambra’s youth inclusive, in the areas of moral and social values.
‘The issue of drug abuse and Yahoo Plus constitute a danger in our present society.
‘You talked about Anambra’s core values and identity; if Igbo Land were a train made up coaches, Anambra is the head coach, dragging the others.
‘So, if you really want to get Igbo right, get Anambra right because the rest of the South East are copying Anambra.
‘Anambra is the Dubai of the rest of the South East, whether you like it or not.
‘For instance, if you check the population of Enugu and Ebonyi States indigenes living in Anambra, they may be rivalrying the host population.
‘So, what we do, and are not doing it right, others are coping it as a right thing. So for that, this is Agency is very fundamental.
‘We will work together to make sure that it is fully launched and begin its serious job.
‘I thank God we have experts that will help you in designing public communication, enlightenment, and all the programmes you need to drive the process,’ Commissioner Mefor assured.
The Commissioner also decried what he viewed as the increasing rate of the get-rich-quick syndrome and neo-paganism among today’s youth.
‘Today’s youth want everything good without lifting a pin to earn it; that wasn’t how we were brought up.
‘In the 70s, 80s, and even a part of 90s, we were made to understand the value of hard work that if you want money, education, you work for it.
‘But today, the situation is different. I may not really have a problem with that, but adding murder to it is something that concerns all of us.
‘This is what they call oke ite and ego mbute now; these two issues are our big problem.
‘The idols our forefathers did away with when they joined Christianity, these boys are bringing them back,’ Dr Mefor lamented, but expressed readiness to work with the Civic and Social Reformation Agency to fight the menace through value re-orientation.
‘I’m pledging all my contacts. I will drag all the behavioural associations in Nigeria I belong as a member, to take interest in helping you to do your work by supplying the experts, the information and the research you need.
‘You may not have all the manpower, but once you go into such strategic partnerships with such people they become an extension of your office.
‘Yours is to generate the case, they do the research, deliver the actionable, and then you run with it.
‘This is the way you will go and make the kind of impact in leaps and bounds that you never expected is possible,’ the Commissioner told the Managing Director.
Earlier, the Managing Director informed the Commissioner that the essence of the visit was to familiarize him with the Agency and seek the partnership of his ministry.
Pointing out that all societies had their dos and don’ts, the Managing Director said that the mandates of the Agency included among others, to disseminate to every doorstep in the state, the core values and identities of Anambra, and what Anambra’s Solution Agenda was for.
According to him, Anambra, in line with the Solution Agenda, had great potential if every resident in the state could strive to keep rules and regulations, pay taxes, keep the environment clean, support education and health, among others.
He recalled Anambra Vision 2070, which, he said, showcased the potentials, the core values and identities of Anambra.
With these, Sir Nnabuife said his Agency met Anambra’s community leaders, schools, among others.
