By Perpetua Onuegbu, NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
A Non-Governmental Organisation, Connected Development (CODE), says qualitative education and value reorientation of younger generation are imperative in the fight against corruption.
Miss Hyeladzira Mshelia, Programme Manager, CODE, said this during a Civic Club Competition her group organised in partnership with Oxfam on Monday in Abuja.
Mshelia said that with the level of corruption in the country, deepening the right values at formative stage could make younger people glued to moral rectitude and hate corruption.
According to her, the NGO and her partners have for two years now, been implementing a project titled,” Power of Voices Partnership Fair for All Projects” in five states and the Federal Capital Territory.
” The states are Delta, Akwa Ibom, FCT, Rivers , Cross River and Imo.
“The goal of the project is to ignite transparency and accountability in students.
“We set up civic clubs in schools in these states to preach the social accountability message to students.
“We talk to them about reorientation, to let them understand that as individuals or as students, they have a key role to play in ending corruption,” she said.
Mshelia said though corruption had eaten deep into the fabric of the nation, it required collective efforts to tackle the menace.
She also said the group partnered with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Offences Commission (ICPC), to create awareness via the clubs in the schools, adding that they have a civic manual for students.
Mshelia said the competition was to enable the NGO evaluate how well the students had learnt from their patrons, using the manual it provided for the students.
She stressed the need for multi-sectorial support in fight against corruption, saying that NGOs cannot achieve much alone.
Oxfam is a confederation of 21 independent NGOs founded by the British Government.
The event comprised of debate with the topic: “Integrity Can End Corruption”, quiz and current affairs segment.
Also speaking, the Patron of the civic club, Government Secondary School, Tundunwada, Mr Ezekiel Ibrahim described the event as apt, adding that it would build the right values in the life of the students.
The Patron of Kuchigoro Junior Secondary School, Mr Dyako Yusuf, called for extension of the club to more schools.
Micheal Okpalaefe, a participant, said, he had learnt a lot from the exercise on the dangers of corruption and promised to be an ambassador of the club.(NAN)