The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has commenced a sensitisation exercise to educate the people of Akwa Ibom on the national values charter and the outbreak of Mpox disease in the state.
This comes as the Commissioner for Health in Akwa Ibom, Prof. Augustine Umoh, said the state recorded eight cases of Mpox disease.
The State Director of NOA, Mr Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, interacting with newsmen on Monday in Uyo, said the sensitisation campaigns are to inform residents to maintain personal and environmental hygiene to curb the spread of the disease.
Mkpoutom stated that the agency’s employees have been dispatched to all 31 local government areas since last week to sensitise rural communities.
“I am sure that you are very much aware of the outbreak of Mpox in Akwa Ibom.
“So, my people have been on the field since last week, we are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to take the sensitisation to the rural communities.
“Some of the affected local government areas are Uyo, Onna, Mkpat Enin and Ikot Ekpene,” Mkpoutom said.
Mkpoutom also urged the media as critical stakeholders to ensure they help in the sensitisation of Nigerians on national values across all the communities in Akwa Ibom State.
He said the agency will continue to collaborate with the media to propagate all government policies and programmes as they affect the citizens.
He said the national values charter is a social contract that aims to instil national values among Nigerians, fostering national identity, unity and cohesion.
“The National Values Charter embodies the core principles that define us as Nigerians: tolerance, respect, understanding, democracy, human rights, and good governance,” he said.
Mkpoutom added that national values outlined the commitments of citizens to the Nigerian state and emphasised their obligations to contribute positively to the nation.
He noted that the national values charter defined the pathway to nationhood and the expected values orientation of both the government and its citizens.