By Stephen Adeleye.
The Socio Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC), on Monday urged citizens to act responsibly, hold leaders accountable and take collective action against corruption.
Mr Tijani Abdulkareem, Executive Director of SERDEC, made the call in Lokoja, at the launching of a carmpaign, tagged: ”#CorruptionNotMyDNA” to mark the 2019 International Day of Anti-Corruption.
The campaign kick started with a Rally, tagged: ”WorkOUT Corrupt Behaviour”, aimed at mobilizing citizens to frown against behaviours, practices, attitudes, social norms and values that promote corruption.
Abdulkareem, noted campaign was organised by SERDEC in partnership with African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ).
He called for collective action as part of global efforts to #UnitedAgainstCorruption and galvanizing effective citizen participation in the fight to end corruption in our society.
”Tackling corruption is a collective responsibility; citizens should take the lead.
”Corruption denies millions of people around the world the prosperity, rights, services and employment which they desperately need and deserve. When corruption prevails, development is threatened,” he said.
He stressed that corruption remained a perennial challenge to development, saying ”Nigeria still ranks 144 out of 188 countries on the corruption perception index (Transparency International, CPI Report, 2018)”.
He said that the recent 2019 Report by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistic further reveal the magnitude of the problem confronting us with Kogi State taking the lead as the most corrupt state in Nigeria with 48% score, followed by Gombe 45%, Rivers 43% and Adamawa 41%.
”Most times we see corruption as act perpetuated only within the circle a government; NO, we are all indicted when we refuse to be responsible and hold our leaders accountable.
“We are all affected when we promote favoritism, tribalism religious bias, bribery and justify, pressurise our kinsmen occupying public position with dishonest demands.
“This leads to looting of the perceived national cake and we are all victims of bad road, insecurity, poverty, unemployment, bad leadership an infrastructural deficit which are the outcomes of corrupt societies.”
He, therefore, enjoined all citizens to stay #UnitedAgainstCorruption, and change the narrative through a change of behaviour that discourages corruption; ”it is time to fight it with discipline, transparency, integrity and accountability.”
SERDEC also called on Government to mandate all schools in Nigeria to adopt an anti-corruption code of conduct that would serve as a guiding tool for young people and regulate corrupt behaviours within our institutions.
He added: ”Fighting corruption is therefore not only an aim in itself, but also the most effective way to ensure sustainable development and a better future.
”Together lets neutralize the genetic code (DNA) of corruption in our society”.
Stakeholders at the meeting includes: various NGOs, NOA, students, religious organisations, parents, media organization, among others.
Pastor Ibitoye Jacob, CAN representative, lamented recent rating of Kogi as the most corrupt state in Nigeria by NBS, and urged the religious leaders to go back to the drawing board.
On his part Alh. Isa Adeboye, a representative of Jama’a tu Nasril Islam (JNI), advised the youths to shun politics find something tangible to do, stressing that politics is not a career.
A guest speaker, Mr. Olushola Babalola, presented a paper titled: ”Promoting Behavioural Change In Addressing Corruption in Nigeria: Roles of Social Norms, Attitudes and Values”.
In his recommendations, Babalola urged the Government to advance the use of anti-corruption agencies such as ICPC, EFCC to proactively investigate corrupt practices with appropriate sanctions.
He also called for re-orientation process in the Nigeria’s education system to redeem the nation’s national image.
