CSO honours students, teachers as anti-corruption champions

Step-Up Nigeria, a civil society organisation (CSO), has honoured some Nigerian students and their teachers as anti-corruption champions for demonstrating incorruptible qualities while learning and teaching.

The students were honoured in Abuja at the sixth edition of the Anti-Corruption Star Awards jointly organised by Step-Up Nigeria and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Special recognition award was given to the Agunji community in Nasarawa state for being outstanding for mobilisation and accountability.

Speaking at the event with the theme ‘Celebrating anti-corruption champions: Shaping tomorrow’s integrity’, Musa Aliyu, ICPC chairman, said youths’ engagement has been one of the cardinal anti-corruption strategies deployed by the commission.

“This is in line with the commission’s mandate as enshrined in Section 6 (e-f) of the ICPC Act 2000, which mandates the commission to educate and mobilise the youths to the fight against corruption,” Aliyu said.

“To sustain youth engagement effectively, the commission, after coming into being in the year 2000, introduced values-based education in the form of the national values curriculum (NVC) into the Nigerian educational curriculum.”

The ICPC chairman said the measures were taken to instil uprightness in youths and to help them exhibit identified positive and behaviour-changing values while turning away from vices of corruption and related offences.

“This was with the full support, professional expertise and guidance of the Nigerian Educational and Research Development Council (NERDC) from conception through implementation,” he added.

“This values curriculum is presently at the review stage after the first phase of implementation.”

Feranmi Iyanda, programmes director at Step-Up Nigeria, said the recognition will boost motivation among young people, noting that ethical education sustains change while sanctions deter graft.

She cited lessons learnt from honouring anti-corruption champions in the past six years, including winners becoming role models, adding that students take proactive anti-corruption steps while their actions drive community change.

“Winners inspire and motivate their peers, while the culture of integrity grows,” Iyanda said.

Those honoured include Young Ojobor (junior young anti-corruption champion),

Joy Ekurume (senior young anti-corruption champion), Augustine Godfrey (teachers’ anti-corruption champion) and Adenike Abiola (special dedication award).