In its effort to bring the anti-corruption crusade to various sectors of the Nigerian society, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), through its National Anti-Corruption Coalition (NACC) organized what it tagged: “Grassroots Anti-Corruption Campaign” for members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Cross River State recently.
The objective of the campaign was to strengthen the NURTW and RTEAN members through information sharing, training and education on the ills of corruption while cultivating their active participation in the fight against corruption.
In attendance at the event also were officials of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Ministry of Transportation.
The ICPC Chairman, Mr. Ekpo Nta, who was represented at the event by the South-South Zonal Commissioner of the Commission, Mr Henry Emore, described corruption as the “breaking of rules for personal benefit”. He also observed that corruption was a criminal and corrosive worldwide epidemic found in every facet of people’s lives which deprives them of their fundamental human rights while increasing poverty.
Mr. Nta regretted that the extortion of money from motorists on the roads by law enforcement agents seemed to be on the increase and advised that it should be stopped forthwith. He also called on members of the NURTW and RTEAN to ensure that they follow due process to obtain their driver’s licence and vehicle particulars while observing that most of those documents in the possession of motorists were fake.
On his part, the representative of the Commissioner of Transport, Cross River State, Mr. Chris Haij Ajong, stated that corruption on Nigerian roads was a menace that should be tackled. He said that there were many identified corrupt practices on the roads which everyone was aware of, and that was the reason for organizing the campaign to fight against such practices. He advised everyone present to steer clear of corrupt acts to make the country better.
Also at the event, Mrs. Florence Osang of National Orientation Agency(NOA), pointed out that corruption manifests in different forms, not solely in money matters, explaining that it could also be in the form of perverting a system or policy of government.
She further called on the participants to go back to the society’s core values of integrity and uprightness which are captured in stanzas of the National Anthem of the country.