Ikot Ekpene Residents Reaction To The “Do-The-Right Thing” Campaign In The Media

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

Communication has been identified as the life-wire of every society. As Udoakah (2006) puts it, communication is to the society what skeleton is to human body. This is because of its crucial role in the effective functioning of the society. Simply put, no society can function efficiently without communication.

The media of mass communication have remained a veritable tool in this respect. Apart from their conventional functions of informing, educating and entertaining the mass media also regulate social order. They are agents of socialization, educating members of the society on social norms and values.

The mass media also set agenda in the society. Their agenda setting function stems from their capacity to bring to the public sphere issues, events and personalities they deem worthy of attention and emphasis (Mboho and Iwokwagh, 2006). The need to embark on media campaigns against issues threatening the harmonious co-existence of members of the society, given the spate of crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, rape and assassination in Nigeria as well as advanced fee fraud and moral decadence especially among youth, cannot be over-emphasized.

Audience members have long been intrigued and thrilled by the potential power of the mass media to help solve social problem. This potential, which rests on the persuasive power of the media, has greatly influenced people’s beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. For instance, television, radio and print media especially advertising and public service campaigns can entice people to buy a wide range of products and services while television entertainment programmes and movies can exert enormous influence on ideas, values and attitudes.

Conventional wisdom, theories, experiences and research tend to affirm that the media of mass communication are capable of getting people to act on behalf of their own health and well-being or to “do right” by promoting social causes. Elsewhere government at all levels, private foundations and non-governmental organisations have sponsored hundreds of public services campaigns to promote social rather than commercial “goods” (DeJong, 2002). The Federal Government of Nigeria is not an exception.

As Omoloso (2009) observes that campaigns through the mass media serve as reliable tool for inducing audience members to act in certain ways. This explains why governments and other relevant agencies and stakeholders engage in various campaigns geared toward protection and improving public health as well as social and environmental issues. Thus, the mass media remain a key component of the global strategy for sustaining health and social development through adequate information and education on various health and social issues (Abone, 2008). Mustapha (2008) thus reasons that without the media, it would be impossible for stakeholders as well as health and social issues promoters to disseminate information, monitor same and coordinate activities associated with their campaigns.

Public health and social issues have remained regular features in Nigerian media. As Omoloso (2009) notes, hardly a day passes by without at least one form of public health, social or environmental issue or the other on television or radio and pages of print media, posters, handbills and stickers. It is not surprising that the Federal Government, through its National Orientation Agency (NOA), would look to the media as a crucial aid in addressing social, health and environmental problems in the country by floating series of attitudinal and social re-orientation campaigns, including the “Do-the-Right Thing” Campaign. The campaign was launched simultaneously on 11th May, 2012 in all the 36 states of the Federation and Abuja.

The National Orientation Agency’s “Do the Right Thing” Campaign was intended to create consciousness in Nigerians to do what is right at all times and in all circumstances, with a view to transforming the country. It is a transformational development programme seeking value re-orientation among Nigerians. The “Do-the-Right Thing” campaign has series of advocacies including “Avoid Dirt”, “Plant a Tree; “WASH Nigeria”.

1.1.1    Background information of National Orientation Agency’s “Do The Right Thing” campaign

In order to effectively implement its programmes and achieve the stated objectives, National Orientation Agency structures are aligned to the political set-up of the country. Thus there are a National Headquarters, state directorates and Local Government Formations.

 

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) is a corporate body which resulted from the merger of the Public Enlightenment (PE) and the War Against Indiscipline (WAI)/National Orientation Movement (NOM) Divisions of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture with the Directorate for Social Mobilisation, Self Reliance and Economic Recovery (MAMSER).

 

The merger was necessitated by the need to pool together and consolidates all efforts and resources utilized by the three bodies in the fields of public enlightenment, social mobilization and value-re-orientation.

 

The Agency was formally established in August by the National orientation Agency Decree of 1993. The decree provides for the Agency to be a scheduled organisation and consequently guarantees for the staff security of tenure including pension and gratuity.

Structurally, the Agency is a three tier organisation aligned to the Federal set up of the country. It therefore has a National headquarters, State Directorates and Local Government formations.

The Objectives of the National Orientation Agency derive from those of the three organisations that were merged to form the Agency. They are to:

1. ensure that government programmes and politics are better understood by the general public;
2. mobilize favourable opinion for such programmes and policies;

• encourage informal education through public enlightenment activities and publications;

1. establish a feedback channel to government on all aspects of Nigeria national life;
2. establish appropriate national framework for educating, orientating and indoctrinating Nigerians towards developing socially desirable attitudes, values and culture which project individual’s national pride and positive national image for Nigeria;
3. awaken the consciousness of Nigerians to their civic responsibilities to the promotion of national unity, citizen’s commitment to their human rights to build a free, just and progressive society;

• encourage the people to take part actively and freely in discussions and decisions of matters affecting their general welfare.

The Agency in 2012 launched the campaign: “Do the Right Thing’’ designed to re-orientate Nigerians.

The campaign stressed the need for attitudinal change among Nigerians, moral re-awakening to galvanise the people to greatness which lies in the right attitude.

 

1.2       Statement of the Problem

Observation has shown that government agencies and non-governmental organisations have been investing and embarking on attitudinal and social re-orientation campaigns, apparently with a view to tackling social vices and inducing required behaviour, especially in the urban areas. Among these is the National Orientation Agency’s “Do-the-Right Thing” Campaign in the media.

However, it is not yet known what the reactions of the residents of Ikot Ekpene are to this campaign and what its influence on their orientations is. The key question therefore is: what are Ikot Ekpene residents’ reaction to the “Do the Right Thing” Campaign?

 

1.3       Objectives of the Study

The following objectives guide the study:

• To find out if and what extent Ikot Ekpene residents are exposed to the National Orientation Agency’s “Do the Right Thing” Campaign.
• To ascertain through which media Ikot Ekpene residents are exposed to the “Do the Right Thing” Campaign.
• To find out the influence of the campaign on their personal lives.
• To ascertain whether the Campaign has succeeded in creating a new orientation in residents of Ikot Ekpene.
• To find out the general reaction of Ikot Ekpene residents to the campaign.

1.4       Research Questions

This study has the following research questions:

• Do Ikot Ekpene residents expose themselves to the National Orientation Agency’s “Do the Right Thing” Campaign and to what extent?
• Through which media were they exposed to the Campaign?
• What is the influence of the Campaign in their personal lives?
• Has the campaign succeeded in creating a new orientation in residents of Ikot Ekpene?
• What is the general reaction of Ikot Ekpene residents to the Do-The-Right Thing Campaign?

 

1.5       Significance of the Study

The National Orientation Agency has committed human, material and financial resources to the “Do the Right Thing” Campaign. With a view to re-orientating the value of Nigerians towards morality.

This study will help the agency to ascertain the degree of influence and effectiveness of the campaign, thereby assisting in deciding how best to execute the campaign. The study would also be of great usefulness to social re-orientation workers, media practitioners, scholars, parent and government agencies as well as non-governmental organisations involved in such campaign using the media in planning and disseminating their information to the target audience effectively.

Findings from the research will also add to the pool of knowledge by serving as a reliable data-base for further investigation and reference in the study area.

 

 

1.6       Delimitation of the Study

This study was delimited to reactions of Ikot Ekpene residents to the “Do the Right Thing” Campaign floated by the National Orientation Agency (NOA). Other social and attitudinal re-orientation campaigns by the agency were not considered.

 

1.7       Definition of Terms

(i)         “Do the Right Thing” Campaign:   This is a value re-orientation and enlightenment programme floated by the National Orientation Agency to create the consciousness on Nigerians to do the right things at all times and circumstance.

 

(ii)        Right Thing:  This refers to morality – good behaviour, goodness, integrity, virtue.

 

(iii)       Reaction: The perception and response of Ikot Ekpene residents towards the “Do the Right Thing” Campaign.

 

(iv)       National Orientation Agency:          The Federal Government Agency established by Act No. 100 of 1993 to, among other things, give orientation and encourage Nigerians to take active part in decision affecting their collective welfare.

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