Aminu Kano Democratic Centre urges councilors to say no to corruption
By Our Reporter
The Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies (AKCDS) Monbayya House, Bayareo University Kano has urged councilors in Enugu West Senatorial District to say no to corruption while discharging their duties in order to impact positively on people who elected them.
Mallam Abdulllahi Usman, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the centre said this in Enugu on Tuesday during a sensitisation seminar for elected councilors in the Enugu West district with the theme; "Promoting Accountability and Anti-corruption Through Behavioural Approaches."
Our correspondent reports that, the seminar was organised by University of Nigeria Nsukka Muslim Community (UNNMC) in collaboration with AKCDS and funded by the John D and Catherine T MacAurthur Foundation.
He said if councilors as elected public officers closer to the people would say no to corruption, they would leave good legacies at the end of their tenure and the people who
elected them would enjoy obust dividends of democracy.
"If councilors will insist on transparency and accountability by ensuring their LGs spend judiciously money budgeted for development, it will impact positively on the people.
"This project is targeted towards promoting transparency and accountability in public offices by fighting corruption.
"It's undisputable that, the bane of our country today is corruption, it has hindered the growth of every sector of the economy and created high level of unemployment.
"Many elected public officers divert money meant for development to their personal pockets thereby allowing their people to wallow in abject poverty and hardship,'' he said.
He commended UNNMC for the seriousness and dedication in carrying out its Anti-corruption project to different states in South East geopolitical zone and urged them to keep it.
"The centre is satisfied with UNNMC in this partnership to ensure elected representatives shun corruption by promoting accountability and anti-corruption through behavioural approaches," he said.
Speaking Dr Isah Abduimuminu, the Chief Imam of UNN Mosque admonished elected officers to be of good conduct while in office knowing every well that one day they would leave that office and would be remembered by their good or bad legacies.
"Ensure you resist any attempt by anybody to divert money meant to develop your area to personal pocket.
"Always fellow money budgeted for your wards to ensure it was used for what it was budgeted for.
"Be Anti-corruption crusaders and ambassadors as elected councilors of the people, so that you will write your names in gold and people will entrust you with higher responsibilities at the end of your tenure," he said.
Also speaking , Bishop Joseph Ajujungwa of Blessed Family Church Enugu attributed inordinate ambition and lack of contentment that drives people to acquire more and more wealth as being responsible for high level of corruption in the country.
"Any elected officer that is satisfied with what God has given him/her will have the capacity to resist the temptation of acquiring more and more wealth at the expense of the people.
"As councilor always see yourself as steward, a steward according to Bible is a servant, so you are servant to people who elected you and must serve your people with honesty, humility and accountability," he said.
Ajujungwa who is the Director, Interfaith and Ecumenism in Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Enugu State, urged elected officers to always remember that one day they would stand before God their creator to give account of their stewardship on earth.
In a remark, Mr Mohammad Akobi, a Lawyer and Anti-corruption Advocate, urged councilors to shun all forms of corrupt practices as they would be brought to justice while in service or even when they had finished their tenure, if indicted.
"Avoid corruption such as embazzling public funds, diverting money meant for development in your ward or using your position to extort money from the public, if your are caught you will be brought to justice,"he said.
Earlier, Dr Mansur Saddiq, the Director of UNNMC Anti-corruption Project, commended councilors in Enugu West Senatorial District for honouring the invitation to the seminar and urged them to ensure they put into practice what they have learnt so as to promote accountability and anti-corruption in their various LGs.
Saddiq also expressed special appreciations to Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies for the partnership with UNNMC and John D and Catherine T MacAurthur Foundation for providing the fund to help fight corruption.
The councilors in their separate remark thanked the organisers of the programme, they said the seminar had open their eyes on the importance of promoting accountability and anti-corruption in the discharge of their duties as elected councilors.
They promised to put into practice all they have learnt as well as be anti-corruption crusaders while discharging their duties in their various LGs.
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