By Lucky Isibor,
A university don, Pedro Akor has asserted that corruption erodes the trust the people have in the public sector to act in their best interest. According to the university don who is of the department of political science at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma noted that corruption also wastes our taxes and other public funds earmarked for the provision of collectivised amenities and community projects.
Akor stated this in a lecture titled, “How Corruption Undermines Sustainable Development Goals and The Need to Combat it”, delivered at an anti-corruption rally organised by the New Apostolic Church Development Centre NDC titled “Corruption Not in My DNA on Tuesday, March 10, at Tivona Hotel, Benin City.
Delivering the lecture ahead the sensitisation rally around major streets in Benin City, Akor noted that corruption halts everyone adding that it has negatively affected the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG resulting in low pace of development.
Enumerating how corruption has slowed down development in every sector of the social, political and economic life of the people, the university don observed: “In the health sector for example, corruption is diverse in it’s form and embedded in health systems world wide. Health sector corruption directly impedes progress towards universal health coverage inhibiting people’s access to quality health services and safe and effective medicines, and undermining systems for financial risks protection.
“Corruption in primary and secondary education affects policy making and planning, school management and procurement, and teacher conduct. Nigerian tertiary institutions have suffered from increasing levels of corruption in recent times.”
Welcoming participants earlier, a member of the advisory board of the New Apostolic Church Development Centre, NDC Mr. Victor Oriakhi noted that corruption cuts across all the social and economic strata of the society just as he calls for multi- approach strategies on the war against corruption.
While appreciating the support of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ and the Department of International Development, DFID in the Monitoring of Recovered Assets through Transparency and Accountability (MANTRA) with DFID on Anti-corruption in Nigeria (ACORN) programme, Oriakhi pointed out that corruption is not about money as it’s only a flagship.
The group after the sensitisation rally round major streets in Benin City where pamphlets with anti-corruption messages were given to members of the public, took their campaign to the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ press centre to solicit the support of members of the fourth estate of the realm.
Responding, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Edo State Council, Sir Roland Osakue appreciated the body for its effort aimed at curbing corruption in the country.
Osakue who expressed concern over what corruption has done to the nation, pointed out that the ugly situation must not be allowed to continue.
He appealed to the youths who are the leaders of tomorrow to rise up, with a view to ensuring that the menace (Corruption) is stamped-out of the country.
