The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged Civil Society Organizations to participate actively in bringing about change in Nigeria.
Mrs. Mary Omonayan, an Assistant Chief Superintendent at the Lagos State Office of the Commission gave the charge during an event organised by Crime Victim Foundation Nigeria in Collaboration with the Human Rights Education and Awareness Centre held recently.
Mrs. Omonoyan, who represented the Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner (RACC), Mr. Kabir Elelu, during her presentation titled, “Fighting Corruption through Advocacy – The ICPC Experience”, stressed the need for concerted efforts and mobilisation of broad-based interest groups to effectively fight the monster at all levels.
She said that the civil societies and Nigerians must cultivate the courage to be positively different and speak up against corruption.
The Commission is engaging different strata of society through public education and mobilisation on various platforms, such as the National Ethics and Integrity Policy (NEIP), National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC), town hall meetings, religious leaders’ forum, National Values Curriculum, etc.”.She added.
Mrs. Omonayan said the citizens involvement would provide everyone an opportunity to influence public decisions because the worst impact of corruption in Nigeria is the destruction of personal and national integrity.
The RACC representative lamented that communal values had been bastardised, honesty had become rare and that values of hard work and excellence has been sacrificed on the altar of greed.
She stressed the need for building of alliances by identifying allies in the community and joining hands with other stakeholders to do what was necessary to revive our societal values and led moral regeneration.
