The Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Mr Ekpo Nta, said on Saturday that he was optimistic Nigeria would one day become a corruption-free country.
Nta expressed the optimism in Bauchi while declaring open, a National Anti-Corruption Debate Competition among eight Senior Secondary Schools in the North-East.
Nta, represented by Tanko Abdullahi, Assistant Chief Superintendent in charge of Corruption, Monitoring and Evaluation, Abuja, said Nigerians must free their minds from the feeling that the anti-graft war could not be won completely.
He noted that in spite of the “lucrative industry of corruption” constituted by few Nigerians, coupled with the long period it had thrived, “Nigerians could still fight the monster from various angles.”
Nta expressed concern that few Nigerians had decided to imbibe, nurture, sustain and even defended corruption as virtue, simply to achieve their selfish desires.
According to him, a corruption free society can be achieved through the participation of youth in the crusade if they are “caught young”, hence, the introduction of schools debate to inculcate the virtues and values of integrity, transparency and accountability.
He said that schools debate was introduced by the commission to engage youths in anti-corruption crusade and stimulate academic discuss that would provide answers to issues of corruption from the perspective of youth.
He said the debates, being conducted in all the six geo-political zones of the country, would also encourage non-violent revolution against corruption.
The chairman commended Bauchi state Ministry of Education and other stakeholders, for supporting the project, which he described as the”first of its kind in the history of the country.”
He also commended the commitments of principals and students of participating schools and urged them to sustain the tempo in future engagements.
Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Nuhu Gidado, who doubled as the State Commissioner for Education, commended ICPC for organising the debate to fight corruption.
Gidado said that Nigeria would be a corruption-free nation if the youth could imbibe what the anti-graft commission was imparting on them.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Federal Government College, Azare, Bauchi State, topped the eight schools that participated, while Federal Government College, Billri, Gombe State, came second.
Federal Government Girls College, Bauchi; Giwo Science Academy, Bauchi; Gen. Hassan Usman College, Kastina; Government Secondary School, Toro, Bauchi state and Government Girls Science and Technical College, Potiskum, Yobe, also participated.
All the schools that participated were given various prizes by the anti-graft commission. (NAN)
HAM/AK/ASH
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