Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu|
Lagos State governor’s wife, Mrs Bolanle Ambode, has called on parents, especially mothers, to join the fight against corruption by inculcating values of integrity, honesty, fear of God in their children.
She made the appeal while speaking on behalf of other wives of Southwest governors at the Nigerian Women Against Corruption (WAC), South-West Project Rollout, organised by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari, in Lagos.
She described corruption as a manifestation of deficient moral values.
She said, “We are, therefore, appealing to mothers to pay proper attention to the home and bring up our children with values of honesty, integrity, trust, fear of God and dignity of labour.
“If we succeed as individuals in our various homes, there will be no room for corruption and corrupt practices in the larger society.”
She gave the assurance of the readiness of all Southwest first ladies to support the fight against corruption in all ramifications.
Speaking at the event, the acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, said that women had a very crucial role to play as they were vital to success in the fight against corruption in the country.
The WAC project was flagged-off on December 7, 2016, in Abuja by the First Lady. The EFCC boss blamed corruption for the current recession and the falling value of the naira. She said it had become a threat to the survival of the nation.
“Corruption had eroded many benefits Nigerians should be enjoying from the nation’s natural resources,” she said. “We cannot sit and continue to watch our country drift into intolerable poverty. It is time to act!
”In this task, we can only look in the direction of women, who naturally are gifted with the power to raise and nurture generations of people. They hold the key to the success of the fight against corruption in Nigeria. Women have the power to change the destiny of our nation. I must say that we have taken the right step by inviting women to build the foundation for a sustainable national development.”
In her address, the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Adebule, identified poverty, unemployment, economic downturn and social disorder as the negative effects of corruption in the country.
She commended the EFCC for recognising the role of women in nation building, especially in the fight against corruption.
“Women are effective agents to intensify the awareness across the nation, to tame the virus called corruption. A woman who has the ability to build her home can build a successful nation,” she said.
In her keynote address, Mrs. Ayo Obe, a Human Rights lawyer, said corruption was seen as a normal pattern of being a Nigerian while integrity had become an oddity.
“We need to erase this impression and go back to the basics, and women are in the best position to set that moral pace that will restore our values,” Obe said.
Other Speakers at the event included Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, who said that sanctions were important in tackling corruption in the country.
Dabiri-Erewa urged women to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war to tame the corruption monster. She also said it was wrong for citizens to celebrate corruption.
“Never again should we go back to celebrating corruption. We are women of integrity and if we have contentment, we have everything,” she said.
Pastor Folu Adeboye, wife of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, said that we needed to start the fight against corruption from the home. According to her, this can be done by discouraging any act, behaviour or attitude that aids corruption. Adeboye said that “God is still the same and will deal with people involved in corrupt practices as recorded in the Bible… Nigeria would rise again”.
Mrs. Gloria Laraba, President, National Council for Women Affairs (NCWA), urged women to stand by EFCC and assist in fighting corruption.
“We should start killing corruption from our home. Some parents have a favourite, which is the beginning of corruption,’’ she said.
In her contribution, Olori Wuraola Ogunnusi, wife of the Ooni of Ife, said corruption had eaten deep into the country’s system, and it was the responsibility of everyone to fight against it.
“As women, we are wired to be sensitive, watchful and we pay attention to details. All of these can be channelled into our responsibility of fighting corruption. It is not too late; we can be the change we hope to see in our society,” she said.
Also present at the event were wives of the South-West governors; Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos; Mrs Nike Akande, President Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries, among others. The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the WAC Logo.
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