COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF A RADIO TOWN HALL MEETING AGAINST CORRUPTION, ORGANISED BY THE PROGRESSIVE IMPACT ORGANIZATION FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (PRIMORG)

BACKGROUND TO DELIBERATIONS

The Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development (PRIMORG) with support from the MacArthur Foundation held a town hall meeting against corruption on November 6th, 2020. The theme of the town hall meeting was THE ROLE OF LOW MORAL VALUE ON THE PREVALENCE OF CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA. The meeting was also used to celebrate two Nigerians, Keith Mali and Oluwafisayo Arojojoye, who have shown discipline, character and integrity in their different walks of life. Keith Mali returned the sum of $80,000 mistakenly transferred into his bitcoin wallet by an unknown person, while Oluwafisayo Arojojoye is a taxi driver renowned for returning forgotten items by his passengers.

Other participants and speakers at the meeting looked at the impact of moral decadence in the prevalence of corruption in Nigeria, as well as proffered solutions to curb the menace.

The participants include: Rev Fr. George Ehusani, Founder, Lux Terra Leadership Foundation; Imam Fuad Adeyemi, The National Chief Imam, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society; Dr Hope Cole, Lecturer at Bingham University; Friday Odey, Country Director, Accountability Lab Nigeria.

In the course of deliberation, participants at the town hall meeting noted the following:

– Being a person of integrity is rooted in the upbringing of the individual.

– The family system is failing and aiding moral decadence.

– Building a better society largely depends on the family system.

– Nigerians were urged to stop outsourcing their responsibilities in building a better society.

– Dearth of morality a big challenge in many Nigerian homes

-The present circumstances of Nigeria society (corruption, poor remuneration of public officers, bad governance) does not encourage citizens to be upright.

– Religion has helped in curbing violence and crime in Nigeria.

– People who are faithful to the tenets of their religion are often less corrupt to those who do not but just bear religious names.

– Society is supposed to create ethics for the citizenry.

– Any ethical society creates innovative and entrepreneurial abilities of the citizens.

– Popular corruption, greed and injustice are the three basic factors that promote moral decadence in Nigeria.

– Classifying persons of integrity in the public sector is challenging.

– Government is supposed to lead the fight against corruption.

– The federal government failed to sustain the fight against corruption which they started.

– Nigerians should be the change they want to see. Nigerians should lead in being persons of integrity to have the country of their dreams.

CONCLUSION

– Nigeria as a nation should develop national core values which every citizen will key in.

– Government at all levels must lead in entrenching integrity in the system.

– Citizens must take responsibility in nation building.

– Family structure remains the first point of call for molding citizens of integrity.

About Author