In a determined push to nurture integrity from the grassroots, Osun State office of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has staged a hard-hitting anti-corruption sensitisation programme for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Community Development Service (CDS) group in Ede South Local Government Area.
The exercise, led by Chief Superintendent Laaro Sulayman of the Commission, was designed not merely to inform but to transform, equipping corps members with the moral armour to resist corruption and champion transparency in their host communities.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Superintendent Laaro painted corruption as a persistent stumbling block to Nigeria’s development. He charged the corps members to embrace their roles as “ambassadors of integrity” in their places of primary assignment, urging them to embody honesty, accountability, and responsible citizenship.
“Corruption festers when good people do nothing,” he told the young graduates. “You have the power to reshape narratives and build communities where ethical values are not optional but expected.”
The session went beyond theory. Corps members were taken through practical examples of everyday corrupt practices, from petty bribery to extortion and given clear preventive strategies.
Crucially, the corps members received step-by-step guidance on planning and running anti-corruption awareness campaigns, community outreach events, and advocacy drives tailored to the Commission’s preventive mandate.
Chief Superintendent Laaro further urged the ICPC CDS Group to cement its partnership with the Commission by rolling out high-impact sensitisation campaigns capable of shifting public attitudes and fostering a genuine culture of integrity across the grassroots.
The ICPC commended the Ede South ICPC CDS leadership and members for their unwavering dedication to anti-corruption ideals, noting that their community-level efforts breathe life into the national fight against graft.
The interactive session concluded on a high note, with corps members posing probing questions, sharing field experiences, and offering fresh ideas for tackling corruption. A renewed pledge echoed through the hall: to stand shoulder to shoulder with the ICPC in building a corruption-free Nigeria, one community engagement at a time.