- You can’t fight corruption with dirty hands
From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Member House of Representative for Igbo-Eze North/Udenu federal constituency in Enugu State, Dennis Agbo has said that it is too early to rate the present administration on the fight against corruption though it started well.
Agbo said this on Thursday at Government Junior Secondary School, Mpape, Abuja while unveiling Corruption Tori season four themed:” No Taya For The Fight Against Corruption, We Go Win.”
He lamented that corruption is responsible for most of the socioeconomic challenges ravaging the country.
Agbo further added that everyone can fight corruption but it must be confronted with good records, “the best way to fight corruption is to come with clean hands. It is still too early to rate the present administration on the fight against corruption though it has started on a good note. Anybody can fight corruption. You can decide to start today even if you have a challenged background.
“Nobody should get tired of fighting corruption, the fight must be won. If we don’t defeat corruption, it will defeat us. Since we don’t want to be defeated. We better stand up to fight it squarely and win.
“It is true that when you fight corruption, it will fight back, so we need to continue fighting until it is defeated.
“We need to make corruption unpopular, unpalatable. There must be consequences for corrupt practices. There is enough framework in Nigeria to fight the war against corruption. The laws are there but it is the will that is lacking and wherever the law needs to be amended we are there as parliament to amend it .but we should also be willing to allow the fight to soar. We should stop interfering with the law. Let’s allow offenders to face the consequences, to serve as an example to others.”
Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof Bolaji Olufunmileyi Owasanoye on his part said that a combination of education and character is the best way to eradicate corruption.
Speaking through one of its commissioners Hassan Salifu, the Chairman restated commitment to the fight against corruption.
He said “We have been doing our best, corruption is been dealt with daily in the area of prevention and enforcement. You can see this from the amount of recoveries we have made.
“The recruitment of these children in the fight against corruption is going to present a better future for Nigeria. We have been working hard in the combination of education and character, which is the best way to eradicate corruption from the root.
In her remarks, the GJSS Principal Onugwu Ngozi Ann called on Nigerians to join hands in the fight against corruption, adding that it is the only way to rescue the country from the present situation.
She said, “Corruption as you know is a cankerworm that has eaten deep into the fabrics of our society. Corruption has been the root cause of unemployment, insecurity, underdevelopment and other social vices in Nigeria.
I therefore use this medium to implore you, especially students to join hands with ” Corruption Tori” and other anti-corruption agencies to fight this monster called corruption.”
In his address, the Executive Officer, Signature Communications Ltd, VinMartin Obiora Ilo said the fight against corruption through ” Corruption Tori” has come to stay.
Ilo stated that they pay more attention to the grassroots because corruption is usually recruited mostly from the lower level of society.
He said, “Targeting children was an intentional strategy for us working with Macarthur because we know that if we catch them young, children have a lot of influence, they would impact on their parents, friends, neighbours and most importantly they start the journey and run the campaign.”