A human rights activist, Femi Falana, on Monday
said the extensive corruption that has eaten deep into Nigeria’s fabric could
be reversed if citizens speak out against the practice.
The campaign is one of the projects of
Strengthening Citizen’s Resistance against Prevalence of Corruption (SCRAP-C),
an initiative funded with aid from the UK government and designed to help
reduce corruption in the Nigerian system.
“The constitution has imposed a duty on the
government to eradicate corruption and abuse of office and with respect to
this, if corrupt officials are exposed and public funds are channeled towards
infrastructural and human capital development, Nigerians will live a life of
integrity,” said Mr Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“The federal government has been compelled to
enact some welfare laws for the actualisation of the socio-economic rights of
the Nigerian people such as Education Bank Act, Compulsory Universal Basic
Education Act, Pension Reform Act, National Health Insurance Act and others but
sadly, the federal government has consistently breached the provisions of these
welfare laws.”
Mr Falana said instead of providing funds for
public schools, the government had continued to encourage the establishment of
private schools for the education of the children of the elite.
“Also, with respect to the provision of basic
healthcare for the people, the government has failed in carrying out her
duties, as we have public officers and their family members flown abroad for
medical treatment in foreign medical centres,” he said, while people are left
to die in ill-equipped hospitals in the country, he added.
The Upright for Nigeria initiative seeks to build
public demand and attitudes for anti-corruption through strengthened and organised
collective and individual actions and voices.
The organisers said the campaign would have
national- and state-specific engagements in Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Enugu, Borno
and Akwa Ibom states to increase citizens’ capacity to resist and fight acts of
corruption.
Citizens would also be encouraged to refuse to
participate in corrupt activities, refuse to take bribes or gratifications
before carrying out services, speak against corruption, recognise and report
corrupt activities among others.
Richard Akinola, a lawyer, called for a change in
mindset in order to effectively combat corruption.
“Corruption starts from the individual and to
fight corruption, everyone must first change his mindset, until we change our
individual mindset, nothing will change,” said Mr Akinola.
“Corruption is not just about stealing, even if
you subvert a process, it is corruption. This is a challenge to many people in
the society who cannot see anything wrong in any office holder they are
interested in, this mindset has to change.”
Dolapo Adeniran, a representative from the Public
Affairs Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crime Commissions, urged
parents to monitor their children and instill good attitudes in them.
“The fight against corruption is not just about
the government, it starts from the individual,” she added.
Babafunke Fagbemi, the Executive Director for
Center for Communication and Social Impact and the convener of the campaign,
said the media would be a useful tool to encourage Nigerians to shun corrupt
practices.
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