* Calls on PMB to strengthen anti graft agencies
Foundation for Fraud, Indiscipline and Corruption has unveiled theWar against Indiscipline and Corruption with a call to President Muhammed Buhari to probe all missing funds in the nation’s coffers.
The body, in a seven-point communiqué, signed by the national coordinator of the group Dr Uche Diala, secretary general Engr. Jerry Chukwu and Head media and publicity Alhaji Mustapha Muhammad and issued at the end of its national meeting emphasized that no amount of effort or time given to the fight against corruption in the nation was a waste.
While vehemently supporting the current administration’s fight against corruption and mindless looting of the nation’s coffers, the group urged the president to strengthen all anti graft agencies and call on the anti graft agencies to follow due process in their prosecution of accused persons.
“That FAFIC vehemently supports the current administration’s anti-corruption drive and we make bold to state that no amount of effort or time given to the fight against corruption is a waste or distraction.
“That we support the current administration to ask questions concerning missing funds belonging to the people of Nigeria and we also put on record that anybody who has a question to answer concerning any missing funds should be made to do so irrespective of Status, Political Party or Religious affiliation.
“That, the current administration should strengthen all anti-graft agencies and all institutions relevant in the fight against corruption.
“That all anti-graft agencies should ensure that monies stolen from the nation’s coffers are recovered and individuals who perpetrated such acts are brought to book. We further implore them to be meticulous, impartial and resolute and follow due process in the fight against corruption. We as well restate our belief that every citizen is innocent until proven guilty.
“That we shall not wait for change to come to us, rather we will drive it and ensure that the advocacy gets to all nooks and crannies of the nation. We also resolve to adopt a citizen-driven approach in this campaign. We therefore urge every Nigerian to join the War against Indiscipline and Corruption Squad (WAI-C Squad)” the communiqué read in part.
Earlier during the unveiling of the War against Indiscipline and Corruption, the national Coordinator, Dr Uche Diala restated the resolve of the group to cause positive change in the country through a citizen driven, bottom to top approach. A strategy, he explained that will see the group establish cells, clubs, and units in primary and secondary schools, tertiary institutions and in all ministries, departments and agencies of governments, MDAs not excluding the organized private Sector.
“We are not satisfied with waiting for ‘Change’. We will be the Change. We will cause the change we desire to happen. We will show leadership inspired by President Muhammad Buhari who is our Disciplinarian-in-Chief and every zone, every state, every local government, every autonomous community, every Emirate, every village, every street, every market, every school, every office and every family will hear us and be part of this movement. We are and shall be leaders at our individual levels.
WAIC SQUAD is a citizen-centric group built on the understanding that if each individual citizen is oriented and re-oriented to behave well, the society as group will be better behaved. While the government concentrates on strengthening institutions and legislations, as well as punishments, we shall concentrate of the individual citizen – essentially a peer mechanism system where citizens talk to and work with their fellow citizens to do the right thing thereby changing the value system and orientation.
Well aware of how pervasive Indiscipline and Corruption have become and the need to change hearts and mind and orientation, we have designed a deliberate strategy that will ensure that we touch the foundations of our society represented by the family, schools and religious institutions bringing about the required change. This will require a bottom-up approach, driven by citizen participation. We will have both Individual citizen and Institutional participation”, he said.
Speaking on the launch of Operation Blow the whistle, the signature sign of the WAIC-squad, Diala noted that “Whenever you see any citizen engaged in any act of Indiscipline or corruption anywhere, on the street, in the office, in the church, in the mosque, in the market, at the Petrol station, wherever, just blow your whistle as if to say “I see you oo. Stop that”. We will start from here and before the formal National Launch of WAI-C in no distant, it will go round the nation. We are about to reawaken the spirit of War Against Indiscipline (WAI) and even Gen Tunde Idiagbon will hear us. While they did the right thing then, we will do it better by applying the power of persuasion, conviction and consensus where they applied the power of coercion.
We are the War against Indiscipline and Corruption Squad and we mean business”, he said.
In her speech, fourth republic senator, representing the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Khairat Gwadebe commended the founding members of the foundation and enjoined the public to speak up and politely correct erring members of the public.
Senator Khairat who said Nigerians were law abiding citizens in other parts of the world wondered why the same Nigerians would want to flout laws in their own country.
Highlight of the event was the official blowing of the whistle to signal the kick off of the campaign.