National Orientation Agency in Rivers State and Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) organized on Tuesday in Port-Harcourt one-day public enlightenment and citizen mobilization workshop on the fight against corruption.
Director of National Orientation Agency in the state, Barrister Young Ayotamuno, said in welcome address that the federal government under President Muhamandu Buhari has “reinvigorated” anti-corruption agencies in fight against corruption.
He said it was documented fact that people would be denied basic amenities when corruption is rife in the country.
Barrister Ayotamuno said: “It is a well-documented fact that with corruption, the people are denied employment, good education, water, electricity, housing, good health and sound infrastructure. It was in realization of this that President Muhamadu Buhari upon his inauguration on May 29, 2015 declared war on corruption”.
He said it was important that citizens should be mobilized to be part of the fight against corruption saying that it would provide them “platform to take ownership of the anti-corruption war”.
The director of orientation agency said it was important to encourage civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders to increase their advocacy against corruption and expressed hope that useful recommendations would be made on strengthening the anti-corruption war.
Speaking in interview, Mr Obele Chu on behalf of Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, said the state government was in support of fight against corruption but noted everything to do with it should be within “ambits of the law and constitution of the land”.
The workshop with theme Value Reorientation and the Fight Against Corruption drew large numbers of participants.
Prof. Darlington Iwarimie-Jaja of Department of Sociology, University of Port-Harcourt, presented paper entitled The Role of Value Reorientation in the Fight Against Corruption In Nigeria. He was represented by Dr Raimi Lasisi, head of Sociology and Anthropology department in Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa State.
