By Raymond Ozoji, Awka
The Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River chapter in conjunction with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have organised a one-day sensitisation programme for the staff of the institution tagged “Building Integrity In Public Service: Role of ACTU”.
The one-day sensitisation programme which was mandatory for the College workforce and held at the College magnificent auditorium, was a veritable platform for the ICPC to educate the workers on what constitutes corrupt practices and why it is necessary that they eschewed all forms of corrupt practices negating public service conduct.
The leader of the ICPC team to the Federal Cooperative College Oji River, who is also the Resident Commissioner ICPC Enugu and Ebonyi States, Mr. Kennedy Ewoteme, said all hands must be on deck to fight the hydraheaded monster called corruption so that everyone will enjoy the benefits of living in a sane society.
He said that Nigeria is richly blessed with both human and material resources; that if the Nigerian nation can manage her resources judiciously and expose corruption, the resources are abundant enough to make life meaningful for the citizenry, adding that everyone must rally round ICPC to fight against corruption in the country.
Provost of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River, Dr. Owan Obodoagu Tonica, said the sensitisation was necessary inorder to enhance efficiency and productivity amongst the college workforce.
Owan noted that the emphasis was inculcation of integrity, transparency, honesty and accountability amongst the college staff. He therefore admonished that the knowledge garnered from the sensitisation programme should reflect in whatever they do in the college while conscious efforts should be made also to jettison all forms of sharp practices in the discharge of official duties.
Also the college auditor Mr. Daniel Okeze, underscored the importance of the sensitisation workshop against corrupt practices, saying that the workshop was a welcome development and that the staff should internalise hook line and sinker the message got from the programme.
Okeze who stated that government is ready to have value for money at all times, maintained that honesty and accountability should be guiding principles for public servants, stressing that the staff of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River are doing their best to uphold the standards, rules and regulations of public service.
On his part, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River, Hon. Obinna Ezeano, said that the take home message from the sensitisation programme was simple; that every staff of the college should try to exonerate himself or herself from acts and actions that could portray him or her as a corrupt officer.
Ezeano also stated that the Federal Cooperative College Oji River has a management that conducts thorough investigations into issues to ascertain root causes and also proffer viable solutions, adding that the workshop was a wonderful opportunity for the staff to arm themselves with requisite details on how best to shun corrupt practises in the work place.
Meanwhile the Secretary of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River chapter of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) Mr. Chikendu Donatus Nnaoma, described the one-day sensitisation programme as a wake-up call for every staff of the college to know that he is an employer of the government.
Nnaoma also stated that the training workshop has shown how the relationship between staff and students should look like. He said that the staff are now fully aware of the consequences of acts and actions that contravene the rules and regulations of public service.
He said that the workshop has also advised staff to eschew corruptions and avoid any other thing that is not in agreement with the rules of the service because they were engaged in the service to serve humanity and to make Nigeria better, adding that the rules and guidelines must the service must be highly respected.
The one-day sensitisation programme on ‘ Building Integrity In Public Service (Role of ACTU) ” which was organised by the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit of the Federal Cooperative College Oji River in conjunction with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) featured lectures, question and answer sessions while the vote of thanks was delivered by the college registrar, Mr. Gwunyenga Innocent Izu.
