Comrade
Bello Shagari, President, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) says there
in need to see corrupt people in Africa as criminals not celebrities. Shagari
made this submission while addressing the African Union Commission
3rd Specialised Technical Committee on Youth, Culture and Sports on
Thursday in Algiers, Algeria.
He
presented a paper titled“ the Role of Youth in Creating a Culture of Fighting
Corruption in Africa.’’ NYCN President, Bello Shagari According to him,
corruption is not a problem that Africa has to o live with. “There is a
profound saying that `the realisation of sin is the beginning of salvation’;
consequently, there must be a deliberate and conscious effort to sensitise our
young people to change their orientation. “So, that they can identify
corruption as soon as they see it. In order to differentiate between what is
culturally acceptable and what is institutionally unacceptable.
“By
doing so, it will reduce compliance and the unrealistic demands from the
society, which will make workers comfortable with what they earn legally
and limit them to it. “It is also necessary that corrupt people are viewed as
criminals in the society rather than celebrities. There should also be a
deliberate attempt by our youth to point out corrupt people and to ensure that
they are rejected in taking up public offices, and those caught in action should
be properly sanctioned.
“The
youth should also make efforts advocate for the strengthening of our laws
and their proper application.’’ He said that this could also be effective with
youth inclusivity in governance because even in the most advance countries, it
was the fear of punishment that deters people from indulging in corrupt
practices. Shagari said that the social media helped in
extending advocacy and voice concerns very easily; therefore,
social media tools could be used properly to sensitise the youths call them to
action whenever necessary.
According
to him, before Africa can solve the problems of corruption, it has to
first identify what corruption is in African context, and the conflicts that
the western idea have with African culture and traditions. “In Nigeria
particularly, there is a tradition of a societal burden and “family obligation”
on people in occupying public positions which is a norm in our culture, but is
seen as another element of corruption by the western standards. “ For
instance, an average government worker in the cities of Nigeria is
expected to cater for his extended family back in the village.
“This
is more evident during festive periods. During Eid or Christmas, one is
expected to send money or foodstuffs back home. “Failing to fulfill such
“obligations” leads to name calling among family members who sees such a person
as irresponsible,’’ he said. He said that such an obligation was not attainable
by anyone who depended on his wages as a worker not just in Nigeria but
anywhere in the world. The NYCN president regretted that people celebrated
corruption in most African countries because they benefitted from proceeds of
corruption from rich relatives.
Source:
Vanguard
0 comments:
Kindly comment here!