In a bid to cultivate a new generation of ethical leaders and reinforce the fight against corruption, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) recently hosted teachers and pupils of Regent International School, Mabushi, at its national headquarters in Abuja.
The educational excursion, which formed part of the Commission’s preventive mandate, was designed to immerse the young visitors in the agency’s core vision and mission while underscoring the indispensable role of young Nigerians in fostering integrity and resisting corruption.
Welcoming the delegation, the Director of Public Education, Mr Demola Bakare, fsi, represented by the Divisional Head of Value Orientation, Mr Kingsley Obi, reaffirmed the Commission’s unwavering commitment to nurturing a cadre of morally upright citizens through sustained public enlightenment programmes.
Mr Obi described the students as important stakeholders in the anti-corruption crusade, stressing that the choices they make today would inevitably shape the Nigeria of tomorrow.
“You are not merely students; you are the architects of our shared future,” Mr Obi told the gathering. “The values you embrace in your classrooms, playgrounds, and homes will determine the character of this nation in decades to come. Let integrity be your compass.”
He urged the young attendees to internalise honesty, discipline, and accountability as guiding principles in their academic endeavours, interpersonal relationships, and eventual professional pursuits, insisting that the war against corruption must be waged from the grassroots.
In a separate interactive session, the Commission’s Assistant Chief Superintendent, Mr Mfon Umoh, charged the students to maintain exemplary conduct and uphold the highest moral standards at all times. He emphasised the virtues of discipline, respect for school regulations, and unwavering truthfulness, noting that the habits cultivated during formative years often crystallise into the character of responsible adulthood.
“The seed of integrity, once sown in youth, grows into a tree of trustworthiness that shelters families, institutions, and nations,” Mr Umoh remarked. “Do not underestimate the power of small, honest choices.”
Delivering a vote of thanks on behalf of her peers, Regent International School pupil Akri Silwa expressed profound gratitude to the Commission for what she described as a “memorable and eye-opening experience”.
She assured ICPC officials that the students would cascade the anti-corruption message to their schoolmates, families, and wider communities upon their return, pledging to become ambassadors of integrity in their own right.
The visit forms part of the ICPC’s ongoing public enlightenment and preventive initiatives, which seek to nurture ethical leaders and embed a culture of transparency, accountability, and good governance across all strata of Nigerian society.
With corruption persistently identified as a primary obstacle to development, the Commission continues to invest in youth-oriented programmes, recognising that enduring change must be cultivated from the classroom upward.