More stakeholders have endorsed the proposal by the National Orientation Agency for the second stanza of the National Anthem to be adopted as the official prayer of the country.
The Director General of the NOA, Mike Omeri, said on Friday while recieveing the Special Adviser to the President on Social Development and Special Duties, Mrs. Sarah Pane, in his office in Abuja, that her endorsement is the second most important support so far for the proposal.
The Governor of Ogun state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had earlier pledged to adopt the second stanza of the National Anthem as the national prayer to be used in schools and public functions.
Amosun, however, said the Federal Government should show the way by adopting the proposal to encourage the lower levels of government to do same.
Omeri said the intellect and deep thought invested by the composers of the National Anthem need to be shared by all, since it represents part of the aspiration of the nation.
He welcomed the request by Pane to be a part of the NOA planned programme on Citizen Responsibility Volunteer scheme, which will soon be launched by the Federal Government.
Earlier, Pane had sought the collaboration of the agency towards tackling the near hopelessness of the youth in the country.
According to her: “The number of our youth on the streets are so much.
“In the past, people who dont have jobs seek other ways of earning a living and support themselves, but today our youth appear to have resigned to a fate of hopelessness.
“That is why the message of transformation, which the government is preaching, needs to get to every part of the country, especially the youth.
“It is only the NOA that can help us do that because of its network and reach around the country.”