By Adeyinka Adeniran
A Non-Government Organisation, Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC), has called on people across the country to be more passionate about the fight against corruption in communities in order to redeem the collapsed family value system.
This is as the organisation also urged Nigerians to take the right steps and own the fight against corruption, if the effect and negative implications of graft must be reversed in the country.
The charges form parts of the resolve reached during a town hall meeting held in Lagos and organised by Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) with the support of MacArthur Foundation.
The town hall meeting, according to the Chairman/Team Lead, WAMAC, Zubair Idris, was part of the effort of the organisations to amplify the fight against corruption in the country through the use of local languages.
The 8-point communique issued at the end of the Town Hall meeting reads: “At the end of the Town Hall meeting the following resolutions were made to fast-track the fight against corruption through community participation:
“The Town Hall meeting understands the endemic corruption in our society and calls on people to be passionate about the fight against corruption in our various communities in order to redeem the collapsed family value system.
“Participants were urged to take the right steps and own the fight against corruption.
“The meeting emphasised the need to fast-track investigations towards the conviction of exposed corrupt persons.
“Participants also called for the teaching of local languages and core values of culture and tradition to aid the fight against corruption.
“The meeting agreed on the involvement of the public, particularly the youth, in the fight against corruption, by sensitising them on the destruction caused by corruption.
“The meeting urged community leaders to take the message of anti-corruption to their different areas/domains, in their local languages.
“Participants emphasised the need to use different means, such as the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act and whistle-blowing, in the fight against corruption.
“The meeting looked at the importance of using different channels of communication to inform anti-corruption agencies, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), about corrupt practices in our communities.”
The Town Hall meeting themed: “Community Participation in the Fight against Corruption in Nigeria Using Local Languages” was attended by participants drawn from the media, Civil Society Organisations, Community Based Organisations, Religious and Community leaders, anti-Corruption agencies (EFCC and ICPC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).