9th December, 2019
ActionAid Nigeria has called on Nigerians to collectively work in truth, trust and transparency in the fight against corruption to salvage the nation’s educational system.
Ms Halima Sadiq, ActionAid Project Manager in Kogi, made the call after a procession of students, youths corps members, members of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to Muslim Community Secondary School (MCSS), Lokoja, on Monday in Lokoja to mark the 2019 International Anti-Corruption Day.
The event was organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria, INGRA, SOFADONDO and other concerned CSOs.
Sadiq decried the corruption and attendant decay in the nation’s educational system, saying that the state of most of the nation’s educational institutions from primary to secondary and tertiary levels was pathetic.
“We should collectively fight corruption to revive our educational system. If we don’t fight corruption, corruption will kill our education sector as well as other sectors such as Agriculture, Health and the entire economy.
Mr Chilezie Ogwuegbu, ICPC Commissioner in the state, speaking in the same vein, said the decaying standard of education would not allow proper training of students and youths for the leadership task ahead of them.
Talking about the level of decay and dearth of infrastructure in MCSS, Lokoja, Ogwuegbu said, “We are talking about decaying standard of education. Can we produce Future Leaders in such schools?
“This is even within Lokoja, the state capital. Only God knows what will confront us when we go to the villages.
“So, that is the main reason why we must wake up to fight corruption so that doctors of tomorrow will be trained here. I beg all of you. Wherever you see corruption, report it to us and leave the rest to us,” Ogwuegbu said.
The principal of the school, Mr Yakubu Aliyu-Danaladi, charged the students to guard against corruption and corrupt tendencies if their future must be guaranteed. “Look at the decay and dilapidation of school structures. You must rise up against corruption.
“Otherwise, it will come to a level where we will not be able to access the basic necessities of life as the government would no longer be able to provide. I urge you all to support the government and the ICPC to kill corruption,” Aliyu-Danladi said.
Ms Linda Ella, National PRO, “Sofadondo”, a registered advocacy group for the campaign against “Sex for Marks/Marks for Sex”, said the menace had truncated a lot of ambitions and caused untimely deaths through suicide among victims.