Buhari launches 'Operation Change Begins With Me' tomorrow

The Nigerian govern­ment says it is set to launch the “Change Begins With Me’’ campaign, “to entrench the values of accountability, integrity and positive attitudinal change” in Nigerians.

The Minister of Infor­mation and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and the Di­rector-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Garba Abari, made this known in separate inter­views with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

They said the campaign was aimed at educating and enlightening Nigerians to appreciate the key values needed for national develop­ment.

The programme would be launched on Thursday in Abuja, they said.

“About three to five years back now, the role models in the society were people of doubtful character,” Mr. Mohammed. “Money was worshipped; nobody cared where and how one got the money; these are the mis­placed values that we are tackling now.”

He said the campaign would involve every Nige­rian and address the short­comings of every profession and jobs.

Mr. Mohammed said the campaign would also feature slogans that could be easily assimilated by the people.

“We believe that what is wrong with Nigeria is not limited to the elite, the po­litical class and the civil ser­vice; if we want that change, therefore, it must address all the issues and target every strata of the society.’’

Mr. Mohammed said the campaign was not a repli­cation of the “War Against Indiscipline’’ which the Buhari-led military admin­istration initiated in 1983, but said it would achieve the same goal using a different means.

“In 1983, they used what they had to achieve what they wanted, which was to correct the decadence in so­ciety, tackle corruption and impunity.

“However, in the area of enforcement, people alleged infractions and intimidation.

“But here, we are going to use the media to appeal to people. We are going to use persuasion, instead of coer­cion and intimidation.