Group demands stiffer measures against corruption

Members of the Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) have demanded for the federal government of Nigeria to redouble its effort in fighting corruption.

They made this demand Thursday in Abuja during a public integrity debate competition organized by the group for students of tertiary institutions, which was aimed at sensitizing members of the public on the dangers posed by corruption to the development of the country.

The event had student-debaters drawn from eight universities across Nigeria, including: University of Maiduguri, University of Lagos, University of Calabar, University of Benin, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), University of Ilorin, Gombe State University and Federal University of Dutse.

According to the Program Manager of YIAGA, Cynthia Mbamalu, the choice of students was because of their important role in society, as leaders of today and tomorrow.

“To bounce corruption, our aim is to harness voices of the young people, especially students and see how they can become champions of the anti corruption fight, because corruption is not an issue that only the government will address. Every citizen becomes conscious about it.

“Our aim is to mobilize citizens across the country to start asking critical questions and demand accountability. We have to start this with the young people, who are leaders of today and tomorrow and have a major stake. We have a longer time to live. If we don’t fight it and build a future we will enjoy, we will forever live in regret.”

Also speaking on the occasion a representative of MacArthur Foundation, the official partner of YIAGA, Mr Dayo Lade, said that the fight against corruption must be intensified otherwise Nigerians will wake up one morning to realize that the country is no more.

“Whichever part of the country we come from, we have our individual views of what corruption is and how we got to where we are today. We must educate ourselves in terms of what is happening in the country today. We must join the army of young people clamouring for a change of our country. No one can change it for us. We must dream and go for the nature of the country we desire,” he said.

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