ICPC inaugurates anti-corruption clubs in 160 Ondo secondary schools
By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has inaugurated anti-corruption clubs in 160 public and private secondary schools in Ondo State to stem the tide of corrupt practices in the Country.
In his address during the inauguration on Thursday in Akure, Chairman of the anti-graft Commission, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, said the step will afford the Commission to actively engage youths in tackling corruption.
Represented by Ondo State Resident Anti-corruption Commissioner, Kayode Kupolati, he said one of the surest way of preventing corruption in any society was by building institutional capacity and reinvigorating positive values.
Kupolati said, “the youths anywhere in the world represent the backbone of national development. They possess the energy, the talent and valour which if properly galvanised and channeled could lead to positive national transformation, growth and development.
“Therefore, any nation that undermines its youth population or engages youths in nothing but political thuggery does so at its own peril. Many developed nations of the world do not have mineral resources but are able to develop by galvanising human resources positively to become what they are today.”
According to him, between 2003 and now, the Commission has launched well over 2000 anti-corruption clubs in both public and private secondary schools across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja.
Kupolati, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders, especially learning institutions and regulatory ministries to support the commission in the implementation of its three values reorientation projects towards preventing corruption for the positive transformation.
The ICPC boss, who also commended the Ondo State Government, especially the state Ministry of Education for collaborating with the commission to officially inaugurate anti-corruption clubs in 160 public and private secondary schools in the state said “we hope the collaboration between Ondo State Government and ICPC would continue to thrive”.
The Head, Public Enlightenment and Education of the commission in Ondo State office, Godwin Achile, in his inaugural lecture entitled “Inculcating Positive Values In The Youths, Using Anti-Corruption Club: The ICPC Perspective”, said in order to reduce corruption to the barest minimum, all hands must be on deck.
Achile, who also charged students in the State to be agents of change said “it gives the Commission the opportunity to engage the youths actively in the fight against corruption by inculcating in them sound moral values so that they can grow up with zero tolerance for corruption.”
