The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has called on Nigerian youths to use their ingenuity in the fight against anti-corruption in the country.
Speakers at a conference organised by HEDA made the call on Monday to mark the 2024 Anti-corruption Day.
Newsmen reports that the conference also made a case for the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court.
Speaking to newsmen at the event, the Chairman of HEDA, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, said that the event was a reminder of efforts put in place in the fight against corruption.
Suraju said that the theme of the 2024 Anti-Corruption Day is centered around young people and their engagement in the fight against corruption.
According to him, it is not going to be too far if we are not making enough efforts on the fight against corruption giving the level of recent discoveries of corruptly acquired properties.
“We have also noted that people are not deterred or refraining themselves from corrupt practices,” Suraju said.
He urged Nigerians to be hopeful, but added that those in the habit of perpetrating corruption were not relenting.
“It has to be the duty of civil societies, the media and the citizens themselves to ensure that the money and the properties stolen through corruption are supposed to be used for the provision of basic amenities to the people.
“Going forward, we want to recruit new vanguard, particularly in the young people by training them to condemn and expose acts of corruption.
Also speaking, Mrs Funmi Falana (SAN), underscored the importance of reminding the general public about the dangers of corruption and the consequences.
Falana said that HEDA convened the conference to sensitise the youths on the need to fight corruption in the country.
She described Nigerian youths as occupying a very important segment of the society.
“They are very resilient, that is why there is the need to carry them along so that the future of Nigeria can be better.
“We have also come to discuss the necessity for the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court,” Falana said.
She said that the court would highlight the areas and direct our searchlight to the countries where corrupt money is been taking from but also to the country where the money is been deposited.
“We want to see how we are able to repatriate the funds from the country it is taking to.
“So the International Anti Corruption Court will be such that the countries involved in both the exporting and the importing of the proceeds of corruption would be involved in prosecuting such high profile cases.
“It would also involve in repatriating the money back.
“We also hope that this will help us in our fight against corruption,” Falana said.
In her presentation, Justice Mojisola Olatoregun (rtd), said that corruption undermines development and the trusts that binds citizens and their leaders together, adding that the immediate victims of corruption are the people.
She noted that youths play pivotal role as agents of change.
She urged Nigerian youths to leverage their population and innovation in the fight against corruption.
The highlight of the event is the public presentation of the Compendium of 100 High Profile Corruption Cases in Nigeria.
This is the right blog for anyone who wants to find out about this topic. You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually would want…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just great!
I like what you guys are up also. Such smart work and reporting! Carry on the superb works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my web site :).