CLEEN Foundation Woos Support for Corruption Fight

CLEEN Foundation Woos Support for Corruption Fight

In its bid to galvanise support for the war against corruption in Nigeria, the Cleen Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, on Tuesday, February 13, 2018 organised a one-day Project Launch and Sensitisation Workshop tagged “Voices Against Corruption in Nigeria”, calling for active engagement of citizens in the fight against corruption in order to move the country forward.

Benson Olugbuo, Executive Director, Cleen Foundation, in his welcome remark at the event stressed the need for Nigerians to take ownership of the fight against corruption for the country to scale through the numerous problems bedeviling her.

The one-day workshop, organized in collaboration with anti-corruption agencies with support from Trust Africa was held at Bolton White Hotel, Abuja.

The workshop was designed to broaden the fight against corruption in Nigeria through the use of technology particularly social media platforms which has become popular among the younger generation and low-income populace in the country.

Olugbuo noted that corruption in Nigeria had continued to thrive and fester despite conscious efforts by the government to tame it.

While calling for a common resolve to fighting the menace Olugbuo said, “the fight against corruption requires zeal, courage and full determination to succeed, hence as critical stakeholders, we all have huge responsibility to mobilize and galvanise the overwhelming majority of our people…to key into the anti-graft war by coming on board this noble campaign for the restoration of humaneness, integrity and ethical conduct among our people”.

He enjoined all, as stakeholders, to be part of the campaign by lending voices against corruption stressing that, “corruption emasculates and undermines right to quality life and sustainable development”.

Olugbuo, while stressing the need for people to adopt a zero-tolerance attitude to corruption, said, “the war against corruption should not be seen as a mere paper tiger, but a war that must be fought and won conclusively”.

The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, who was represented by Tony orilade, Head Public Interface, commended the Foundation for its initiative, noting that the project and the timing was apt.

He said that there is an urgent need for citizen participation in the fight against corruption, because while the EFCC does its best, it still needs members of the society to adequately key into the anti-corruption crusade,” he said.

According to Orilade, the EFCC employs open and credible communication channels to close the gap between the Commission and its stakeholders, using social media platforms such as the FaceBook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram among others.

“The Public Interface Unit works in synergy with other Units of the Commission by receiving information bordering on economic and financial crimes and directing same to the appropriate Departments and Units for effective and efficient delivery on the Commission’s core mandate”, he said.

He used the opportunity to intimate participants of the various efforts by the anti-graft agencies to rid the country of economic and financial crimes.

The workshop had in attendance representatives from government agencies such as: EFCC, Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP; Independent Corrupt Practice Commission, ICPC and Nigeria Police.