Director of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, in Ondo State, Mr Bode Famose, has urged Nigerians to accord due respect to all Nigeria’s national symbols.
He gave the charge in his speech at the 2019 National Ordinance Day celebrations in Akure, the state capital, today.
He said that national symbols are instruments for creating and sustaining the national identity of a people.
In his words: “They are essential in promoting patriotism in the citizen especially in children who are passing through a stage of personalized formation, value inculcation and character development.
Some of the Nigerian national symbols are the Coat of Arms, the National flag, national anthem, national pledge, Nigerian currency notes, vehicle number plate, national identity card,the portrait of Mr President, Nigerian passport, Nigerian voter card and the Nigerian Constitution
As a matter of concern, most of our national symbols are treated with disrespect and nonchalant attitudes by individuals, banks, even some government establishments like schools and hospitals, and other establishments in the organized private sector.
Of all the Nigerian national symbols, one of the most widely abused is our national flag. Some of the common practices that constitute abuse to our national flag are:sewing together green and white clothes to produce a Nigerian national flag, displaying tattered or torn flag, flying our national flag at the same height with other flags, flying national flag that do not conform with the required specifications.
The standard flag size is 0.6 by 1.2metres, emerald green and immaculate White color, printed out seamlessly without and concatenation, allowing our national flag to fall on the floor, flying our national flag overnight. In an ideal situation, our national flag is hoisted ceremoniously at 6am and lowered at 6pm in good condition.
There are laws guiding our national symbols entrenched in the constitution. Section 24A of the 1999 constitution admonishes all Nigerians to respect the national flag, the national anthem, the national pledge, the national currency and legitimate authorities. Section 5 of the Flag and Coat of Arms Ordinance 48 of 1960 stipulates that any person who flies or exhibits the national flag in a defaced or bad condition shall be guilty of an offence against the ordinance.
Some of the other practices that constitute abuse to our national symbols include: persons moving about or sitting when the national anthem is being sung, inability of the Nigerian to sing the national anthem or recite the national pledge, writing on the Nigerian currency, squeezing the Nigerian currency, pouring ink or mutilating the Nigerian currency and spraying the Nigerian currency at social functions.
To draw the attention of Nigerians that the importance of our national symbols, National Orientation Agency (NOA) lead other Nigerians in the annual celebration of the national ordinance day on the 16th of September every year.”
In the 2019 edition of the celebration in Ondo state, a road walk through Oba Adesida road Akure was organised by the state directorate of the National Orientation Agency.
Famose enlightened the public that the yearly event is to commemorate September 16, 1960 when the Nigerian national flag ordinance was signed into law.
The NOA Director therefore admonished private and government establishments to refrain from hoisting torn flags and flags that do not meet the required specifications.
He urged them to fly the authentic flags which are available in any of the offices of the national orientation agency nationwide.
He maintained that sustained advocacy and positive attitudinal change towards our national symbols would enhance ownership of the process of rapid and sustainable development of Nigeria especially in this contemporary administration committed to providing enabling environment needed to move the nation to the next higher and better level.
