…Appeals to Students to shun Corrupt Practices
In a bid to create awareness and reduce incidents of corruption and moral decadence among students in secondary schools, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Imo state office has inaugurated the anti-corruption club of Evangel Model Secondary School and St. Paul International Boys Secondary school both in Owerri, the Imo state capital.
During the separate inauguration ceremonies in the schools, Mrs. Chinwe Egbeocha, Assistant Commissioner, told the students and teachers that corruption has been responsible for the socio–economic and political backwardness of Nigeria and explained that the Commission was established to mitigate that ugly trend.
She stated that social vices like examination malpractices, bribery, cultism, sexual abuse, extortion and other corrupt practices are threats to the nation because students that are products of a corrupt educational system pollute society rather than refine it.
Mrs. Egbeocha insisted that it was only a vigorous and consistent fight against the scourge that would reduce the incidence of corruption and raise the standard of education in the country.
Delivering a lecture on the Integrity Code for Students, the Asst. Commissioner explained that “integrity is the quality of being honest, having strong moral principle and doing the right thing always even when nobody is watching”.
She added that the Integrity Code was designed by stakeholders to regulate the conduct of teachers, students and parents and build integrity in the school system.
The representative of ICPC further explained the guidelines for the formation of anti-corruption clubs in schools, pointing out that members of the club should have good conduct, maintain high standards of moral value and be ready to report all known cases of corrupt practices to the appropriate authority.
She encouraged the students to join the club as it is one of the effective ways to help clean Nigeria of the cankerworm and assured them that the Commission would give adequate protection to members of the club against possible victimization by teachers, school management or fellow students.
Speaking earlier, the principal of Evangel Model Secondary School, Dr. Anthony Madugba, commended the enlightenment strategy of ICPC that is helping to inculcate a sense of integrity into the hearts of students.
This, he said would be more effective and result-orientated in curbing corruption for it is easier to mold the characters of the students who are still young.
In his own remarks, the principal of St. Paul International Boys Secondary School, Mr. Magnus Ijezie extolled the efforts of the Commission in reducing the level of corruption in the nation and enjoined the students to utilize all the information they have received from the lecture to reform themselves and equally educate others to shun evil practices.