The Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Gyogon Grimah, has urged Nigerians to fight the root causes of corruption.
Mr Grimah said that high-level corruption continues to thrive in the country because citizens were not addressing its root causes.
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He said this during a Tuesday town hall meeting organised by the Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre in Calabar.
The event’s theme was “Dynamics of the Fight Against Corruption: The Need For Citizens To Demand Accountability.”
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According to Mr Grimah, many Nigerians blame government officials and politicians for corruption while excusing themselves of culpability. He said this is largely because many Nigerians have not had their “actions” exposed.
“It is disheartening that in spite of numerous lectures and proposals on tackling corruption at many levels, the issue is still persisting. Nigerians need to ask themselves why.
“50 years ago, we had no anti-corruption body, yet corruption was minimal. Today, in spite of having multiple anti-corruption agencies, corruption is at an all-time high.
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“In Nigeria’s corruption landscape, there are very few resistors but plenty of catalysts. Many of us are these catalysts, directly or by proxy, facilitating corruption.
“Until we address the root causes of corruption and effect an attitudinal change, all efforts in the fight against it will be in vain.”
The police commissioner said the fight against corruption required individual introspection and collective actions, as “mere lectures and finger-pointing would not yield meaningful results”.
Corruption erodes trust, weakens institutions
In his remarks, Zubair Idris, the executive director of the Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre, highlighted the detrimental effects of corruption on Nigeria’s development, economic growth, and social welfare.
According to him, corruption erodes trust, weakens institutions, and perpetuates inequality.
Mr Idris noted that fighting corruption was not a solitary endeavour but a collective responsibility requiring the active participation of citizens, civil society organisations, government agencies, and the private sector.
In a lecture, MacFarlane Ejah, the country director of the International Training Research and Advocacy Project, said Nigeria had lost more than $500 billion to corruption in the past 60 years.
“Corruption is an abuse of resources, power, or influence at the expense of society, and until Nigerians take ownership of the fight against corruption, the nation will continue to stagnate,” he warned.
The town hall meeting concluded with a call for citizens to become proactive by holding leaders accountable and curbing corrupt practices.
(NAN)
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