Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has issued a clarion call to Nigerian tertiary students, urging them to serve as torchbearers of integrity and ethical conduct as the nation intensifies its battle against systemic corruption.
Speaking at the formal cluster inauguration of Students Anti-Corruption Vanguards (SAVs) across five selected tertiary institutions in Nasarawa State, held recently at the Federal University of Lafia (FU Lafia), the ICPC chief described the initiative as a pivotal moment in reshaping the moral fabric of Nigeria’s educational landscape.
The newly inaugurated SAVs encompass students from FU-Lafia; the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Lafia; the College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia; Isah Mustapha Agwai 1 Polytechnic, Lafia; and the College of Education, Akwanga, marking a significant expansion of the Commission’s grassroots engagement with the nation’s youth.
Represented by the Director of Public Education, Mr. Demola Bakare, fsi, anipr, Dr. Aliyu characterised the SAV programme as one of the Commission’s most formidable corruption prevention instruments, meticulously designed to furnish students with a credible platform for active participation in the promotion of integrity, patriotism, and civic responsibility.
The ICPC Chairman painted a sobering picture of corruption’s corrosive impact on Nigeria’s educational sector, noting that vices such as examination malpractices, certificate forgery, favouritism, and other unethical practices continue to subvert the nation’s developmental aspirations.
“Students are among the greatest victims of corruption,” Dr. Aliyu asserted, emphasising that the erosion of academic standards ultimately betrays the very future of the country’s youth.
In a passionate appeal that resonated throughout the university auditorium, he charged the students to take full ownership of the anti-corruption campaign, declaring: “Students must become ambassadors of honesty and ethical conduct. Integrity begins with refusing examination malpractice, rejecting plagiarism, avoiding falsification of records, respecting institutional rules, and upholding academic honesty.”
The Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Lafia, Prof. Mohammed Isah Kida, who was represented by Prof. Folorunsho Ajayi, hailed the inauguration as the dawn of a transformative movement aimed at cultivating integrity, transparency, accountability, and ethical leadership among the student populace.
Prof. Kida underscored corruption as a formidable obstacle to national development, urging students to embrace values that would mould them into responsible leaders and conscientious citizens of tomorrow.
In a pointed reminder, the Vice-Chancellor stressed that academic excellence must be inextricably linked with strong moral character, asserting that “integrity is essential to true success.” He further encouraged members of the Vanguard to distinguish themselves as role models and champions of positive values, both within the university community and beyond its borders.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) at FU Lafia, Mr. Stephen Uvar, explained that the inauguration formally empowers the selected students to assume their roles as anti-corruption ambassadors within their respective institutions.
Mr. Uvar charged them to embrace this responsibility with utmost seriousness, as they are expected to promote ethical conduct among their peers and contribute meaningfully to fostering a culture of transparency and accountability across campus communities.
The event also featured an enlightening paper presentation titled “About the ICPC,” delivered by Mr. Mfon Umoh, which afforded participants a comprehensive overview of the Commission’s mandate, statutory functions, and ongoing anti-corruption efforts. The session was followed by the administration of the oath of allegiance, conducted by Barr. Nura Saidu, formally inducted the students into their new roles as custodians of integrity.
With this initiative, the ICPC continues to demonstrate its commitment to tackling corruption at its roots, recognising that the fight against graft must be won in the hearts and minds of the younger generation, beginning within the hallowed halls of Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning.