ABUJA, Nigeria – Mediaage NG News – The Deputy Director, Programmes, Step Up Nigeria, Andrew Idoko at the 2023 Anti-Corruption Star Awards last Friday , said fighting corruption is a behavioural change that takes processes and reorientating the minds of Nigerians, especially, the younger generation.
He said this can be done through individual and collective orientation by “taking little steps that will produce bigger results”.
“When you teach children from an early age, they grow with it. They pick up things as they grow. So, when you catch them young and make them understand that there is reward for Integrity and doing good, differenting between right and wrong, the world will be a better place. Actions of citizens matter in the society”, he said.
Mr. Idoko also said corruption which is a major problem in the country, has eaten deep into the society and has made families beg for basic necessities that they have been deprived of.
“These basic needs include your voting rights. You know there’s vote buying, which is corruption on its own.It is interlinked.
“When people vote the right persons, you will see that votes will count in the future. When the right persons are voted for, citizens won’t beg for these basic amenities. We go to communities encouraging first time voters not to be influenced into selling their votes.
“That’s why at Step Up Nigeria, we are fighting, hoping and working with school children, teachers, parents to surge the drive against corruption.
The event also had presentation of awards to recipients who have done absolutely well in their communities in the fight against corruption. It is aimed at showing the world that there is reward for doing good and fighting corruption.
The awards spotlights the awardees and make them champion anti-corruption drives in their respective communities and homes, making Nigeria a better place.
Prof. Olutunde, the Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), a training and research arm of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) said Step Up Nigeria has done well in organising this event and advised other bodies to join the initiative and fight corruption out of the Nigerian system.
“We will continue to engage and make concerted efforts to ensure that this cancer(corruption) is taken out of our society . This examplary act of Step Up Nigeria has a potency to fight corrupt practices, he stated.
“Everyone here should be anti-corruption champions. There must be a zero tolerance on corruption and one we teach our young students to emulate and destroy the monster called corruption”, Prof. Olutunde added.
The Deputy Director, Code of Conduct Bureau, Isaac Simon Abu has revealed that it would take a gradual process for corruption to be extinguished out of the Nigerian system.
He also said the Code of Conduct Bureau, which he described as the foremost anti-corruption body in the country, gave tutelage to the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) created during the adminstration of ex President Olusegun Obasanjo.
He disclosed that corruption has become so rife in the country and has negatively affected public service operations.
“Looking at the historical antecedent of the Nigerian society, corruption was about consuming the entire country. There was contract inflations, shady jobs were been done. It would have destroyed a whole lot in the country. People were selling appointments, people were into nepotism and all forms of corruption. However, the government cannot allow the country go down as a result of corruption”, he said.
“Honestly, we have to put more efforts to fight corruption.
“It’s a gradual process to fight corruption. Things that were prevelant in the past, are carefully not practised in the open today. That is to show that the anti corruption bodies are into proactive measures, checkmating the excesses of public and private sector workers”, he added.