The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Anambra State Directorate, have agreed to deepen their collaboration to tackle corruption, sexual abuse and other social vices across the state.
The partnership was announced when the State Resident Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Mr Dio Emmanuel, led a management team from the ICPC on a courtesy visit to the State Director of NOA, Barrister Lady Ifeoma Chijioke, at her office in Awka.
Emmanuel said the ICPC Act empowers the commission to investigate and prosecute individuals and groups involved in corrupt practices, but stressed that the fight against corruption could not be won through arrests and prosecution alone.
He described corruption as “endemic” and said the commission’s mandate also included promoting integrity, national values and responsible citizenship.
“We are here to engage NOA in the ongoing fight against corruption, sexual abuse and other vices in the country.
“I believe this strong collaboration will go a long way in encouraging Nigerians to do the right thing and make the country a better place for all,” he said.
Emmanuel noted that one of the major benefits of the partnership was the opportunity to take anti-corruption education beyond government offices and major cities to communities across Anambra.
He identified public enlightenment as a critical tool for changing attitudes towards corruption and said the commission planned to extend its activities to remote areas of the state with the support of NOA officials across the 21 local government areas.
Receiving the ICPC delegation, Chijioke welcomed the partnership, saying NOA was eager to work with the commission because its mandate closely aligned with the agency’s people-oriented programmes.
“We are fully committed to this synergy. That is why I invited my management team to be part of this important visit to better understand the functions of the commission,” she said.
Chijioke said NOA had already introduced several programmes targeting young Nigerians, particularly campaigns against drug abuse, sexual abuse, narcotics and other social vices.
She disclosed that the agency had established Integrity Clubs in schools across the state to help young people develop positive values from an early age.
Chijioke lamented what she described as societal failure in the upbringing of Nigerian children and condemned the growing culture of examination malpractice.
She specifically criticised the practice of students in tertiary institutions allegedly “sorting” lecturers in exchange for high grades, warning that such behaviour reinforced a culture in which dishonesty was treated as a normal route to success.
The ICPC Head of Public Enlightenment and Education in Anambra, Mr Inalegwu Shaibu, said the commission was equally focused on changing such attitudes by promoting integrity from childhood.
According to him, the commission’s work cuts across different sectors of society, with civic education and national values campaigns taken to institutions across the country.
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He said primary schools were particularly important because, in his words, the goal was to “catch them young.”
Shaibu also disclosed that an Anti-Corruption Club had been inaugurated at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Anambra, with similar initiatives being implemented in other locations.
Beyond schools, he said the ICPC had also visited markets where officials discovered the sale of adulterated palm oil and groundnut oil.
He, however, stressed that enforcement alone would not solve the problem.
“We believe that investigation and prosecution alone cannot succeed without proper public sensitisation,” he said.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Civic, Value and Democracy Education, NOA Awka, Mr Remigius Obi, described the visit as a long-awaited opportunity to strengthen the relationship between both agencies.
Obi expressed concern that some of the leaders Nigerians looked up to as role models were not living up to expectations, arguing that this could undermine efforts to instil integrity among younger generations.
He said the collaboration would also help the ICPC reach difficult terrains across Anambra when investigations, arrests and prosecutions became necessary.
For NOA’s Desk Officer for Youth Engagement and Inclusion, Mr Ignatius Obiorah, institutional corruption remained a major concern.
He cited the alleged diversion of constituency projects by some members of the National Assembly as an example and appealed to the ICPC to share its tracking reports on constituency projects with NOA.
Such information, he said, would enable NOA to educate communities about projects meant for them and encourage residents to take ownership of the projects, thereby helping to ensure their timely and proper execution.
