Abuja – Mr Mike Omeri, the Director-General, National Orientation Agency says the ongoing anti-corruption campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari is a call to cultural re-awakening.
Omeri made this known in Abuja on Wednesday while presenting a paper on Traditional African Culture and Issues of Corruption at the 8th Annual Forum of Laureates of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM).
According to him, to successfully address the problem of corruption in Nigeria, a programme of cultural re-awakening is imperative.
The DG said that cultural re-awakening would minimise the level of moral decadence in the society as well as enhance the change agenda of the present administration.
He said that in a bid to eradicate corruption, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had directed its ministry and parastatals to immediately embark on nationwide re-orientation campaign.
Omeri said that the campaign would help return Nigeria to its age long traditional values and also mobilise citizens to embrace the change necessary for national development.
“It is noteworthy that corruption was a major campaign issue during the presidential election of 2015.
“In fact, it is unarguable that President Buhari secured the overwhelming support of the electorates because of the mantra of change which formed his campaign slogan.
“It is, therefore, justifiable that his administration is overtly committed to the process of bringing about required change that will move Nigeria to greatness,’’ he said.
The DG said that the agency had since embarked on a comprehensive social re-engineering campaign with the title, “Do the Right Thing: Transform Nigeria’’.
He called on Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a corrupt free nation by building on the path of stability, growth and development.
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In his paper entitled, `Academic Corruption and the role of the NNMA in curbing it’, Prof. Ayo Bamgbose, of the University of Ibadan said that the academic system had over the years been ridden with corrupt practices.
He said that corrupt practices had threatened the legitimacy of the system in properly playing the role ascribed.
Bamgbose said that the major philosophy of NNMA was to identify, recognise and reward intellectual and academic excellence, outstanding academic output and innovation.
“It is also enjoined to promote excellence in the academic system so as to ensure the emergence of suitable scholars deserving recognition,” he said.
Bamgbose said that NNMA could be involved in curbing academic corruption which was antithetical to academic excellence.
He stressed that it was also necessary to examine the concept of meritocracy. (NAN)
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