ICPC To UBEC: Moral Regeneration Key To Reducing Corruption
A cross section of participants at the workshop
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye has stated that moral regeneration was key to reducing corruption in the society.
The Chairman stated this in his goodwill message during a two-day stakeholders’ workshop on Moral Regeneration in the Universal Basic Education Programme which was organized by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Professor Owasanoye, who was represented by Mr. Mohammed Ashiru Baba, Director Public Enlightenment & Education Department of the ICPC, noted that it was important to inculcate moral reorientation and regeneration in the lives of the Nigerian child.
The ICPC boss while congratulating UBEC on their foresight in organizing the workshop, highlighted some of the Commission’s interventions in reducing corruption to the barest minimum through executing youths outreach projects which have improved the quality and standards of education in the Nation.
“It is on this belief that ICPC introduced several moral regeneration programmes in line with its mandate of preventing corruption, education and mobilizing the public on and against the ills of corruption as encapsulated in Section 6 (b to f) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Some of the programmes currently being implemented by the ICPC include the National Values Curriculum (NVC), formation of Anti- Corruption Clubs in secondary schools and Anti-Corruption Vanguards in tertiary institutions, the National Ethics and Integrity Policy, the Local Government Integrity Training Series, the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) and the National Policy Initiative against sexual harassment in schools,” he explained.
The Chairman further stressed the need for UBEC to take on teacher education on the 12 core values of the National Values Curriculum and the review of the Curriculum (NVC) which was being undertaken in collaboration with the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC).
Speaking at the event, the UBEC Director, Teacher Development, Mr. Aleshin Olumayowa, explained that the workshop was organized to bring together various stakeholders to address the decadence of moral and values upturn and to ensure children and youths follow the right path in the society.
According to him, “The meeting is one strategy adopted by the Commission to gather information, solicit advice and cooperation with all to find a way forward to address the moral and value decadence in the nation especially at the basic education level, we are in line with the goals of basic education which according to the National Policy on Education is to inculcate values and raise morally upright individuals”
On his part, the keynote speaker, Prof. Soji Oni, also spoke on the need for a regeneration approach that could enable students interact and see at a glance the benefits of morality and values in any given society.
Soji also urged Nigerians to take morality more seriously and push for the acceptance of same to the children.
“It is important to re-emphasize the need for moral regeneration and reorientation in our basic education. There is drastic fall in moral standards so Nigeria needs to push for morality more seriously and teachers should frequently be trained alongside recent global development and re- introduction of the worth of Nigerian educational system at basic level,” Prof. Oni reiterated.
Earlier, the UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr. Hammid Bobboyi, while declaring the workshop open, appreciated all the stakeholders and other participants for attending the event.
“I would like to appreciate all for being in attendance at this meeting and to underscore the presence of the members. We count on your experience and believe that the resolutions from this meeting would also impact on law making”, he remarked.
