The National Orientation Agency(NOA), yesterday charged state governors and chairmen of council chairmen in the country to tender their account of stewardship in order to ensure public scrutiny and clarification.

The agency's Director-General, Mr Mike Omeri, represented by the Director,Planning Research and Strategy, Mr Bonart Tagwai, while speaking at the South-West Zonal Stakeholders' Conversation on the Mid-term report,organized by NOA, held at Civic Centre, Idi-Ape, Ibadan, noted that the presentation of performance to the public was an example set by President Goodluck Jonathan to assess government performance in the first half of his administration.

According to him, many Nigerians abroad and home have applauded the decision of Mr President to present the administrations mid term report for public scrutiny and inputs as unprecedented in the history of governance in Nigeria.

The NOA DG also urged leaders to be above average in honest,courage,capacity,competence and in character so that to experience genuine transformation promised by the president.

"Indeed, no leader can rise beyond the limitations of his character. This is why NOA is taking it's flagship value re orientation program tagged,Patriotism and Ethics First. This theme lays a lot of emphasis on character to all segments of our society so far,several public service institutions have embraced the PEF and have included patriotism education as part of its training curriculum," Omeri said.

He advised leaders to keep promises to create trust in the entire process of

governance, saying that leaders should rise above unprogressive politicking that has made it difficult to speed up the process of development in troubled areas of the country. One of the discussants at the event,  Dr Olusola Arowolo, from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUTA), called on the Federal Government to focus more on livestock farming.

According to him, Nigerians need a lot of balanced nutrient,adding that too much emphasis has been placed on agronomy farming. Arowolo who spoke extensively on agricultural agenda, said there was also the need

for the government to concentrate on farmers at the rural level,saying "our economy depends a lot on them".She said more concentration on livestock and rural farmers would improve ensure food security.

Another discussant, Professr Olugbenga Kolawole, the immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Education,University of Ibadan, said that the major challenges facing the educational sector was funding and infrastructures. Kolawole appealed to the government to provide good infrastructure in schools,

adding that without infrastructure there cannot be a sustained policy.

"The Federal Government should ensure lecturers are funded. They should be paid accordingly, lecturers are on strike because of lack of funding, and that is a bad situation" he stated