President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed the determination of his administration to restore Nigeria’s traditional ethical values of honesty, integrity, hard work, truth, justice, unity, faith, and consideration for one another irrespective of status or background.
He aims to achieve this through the National Ethics and Integrity policy projects meant to tackle corruption and corruptive tendencies.
He made these comments at the 2nd national summit by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The event also marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the anti-corruption agency the ICPC and launches the National Ethics and Integrity Policy.
The Policy was put together by the ICPC, in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, and the National Orientation Agency.
President Muhammadu Buhari is a firm believer in integrity in public office and fighting corruption as can be seen from his antecedents as a military Head of State
He believes progress can only be achieved in the delivery of dividends for the citizenry when the arms and tiers of government work together.
The ICPC is the beautiful bride on this occasion and has actively pursued the war against corruption as can be seen from recent achievements.
Among such is the recent discovery that funds to the tune of 2.67 billion Naira, made to some federal colleges for school feeding during the lockdown, ended up in personal accounts.
The Commission also discovered that a number of projects described as ongoing in the budget were found to be new projects that ought to have been excluded in order to enable the government to complete existing projects.
The President of the Senate is quick to lend his support for this new policy launched and dismisses the notion that the present administration’s fight against corruption has been selective.
Rather, he stresses the need for all organs of government to work together to facilitate the treatment of corruption cases with dispatch to enhance the war on the menace.
The take-home from this event is that there is a need for citizens, now more than ever, to join in the fight against corruption.
There is also a need for citizens to embrace traditional, societal values that build trust and integrity if Nigeria must progress as one united entity.
