Considering the implications of corruption and examination malpractises as bane in nations effort towards growth and advancement, and in view of the fact that Nigeria as a great nation has a global dented image as a result of her deep rooted with these anti-social vices, a non Governmental organization (NGO), African Initiatives Against Corruption and Examination Malpractices (AICEM) has placed itself in the front burner to ensure that the country’s younger generations are not identified with these social anomalies.
Mr. Francis Abioye, the National Coordinator of the NGO has for the past two weeks with his team transverse most of the urban and rural Secondary Schools in Imo educating and inspiring the students who are below twenty years on the reasons why their generation must abhor and shun examination malpractices and corruption.
Abioye who hails from Osun State but working in Imo State as the General Manager of Nekede Zoological Garden, Owerri said he is been spurred to Launch aggressive war against corruption and examination malpractices because of his firm belief that if these anti social vices go unabated that the future of the country remains dimmed and that the society will be worst than a man in the state of nature (where life is brutish, primitive and barbaric).
He sees his vision as a divine mandate geared towards guiding and protecting the future generations to greater glory and has vowed to sacrifice all within his reach to ensure its realization.
According to him “Though I am a Christian but my spirit has been subjected to pains because of the way the nation is drifting by seeing examination malpractices and corruption as a way of life, people feel unperturbed engaging in the vices as a normal way of life.
Africans including Nigerians are not corrupt people right from creation. Corruption was planted in the continent by the colonial masters, unfortunately, Nigerian Leaders embraced and amplified it as if it is a norm and if the present teenagers who are leaders of tomorrow are not properly oriented on the need to jettison the vices, its consequential effects will be monumental” he pointed out.
The team through divine arrangement visited the senior class of Ikenegbu Girls Secondary School, Owerri on the day that was globally recognized as “World Anti-Corruption Day” and the National co-ordinator presented what may be described as power packed motivational and inspirational message titled Your Character Your Destiny.
The Students numbering over 4,000 in the assembly ground were emotionally engrossed as they were made to understand their responsibilities as the future leaders of the nation and that they are the architects of their own destiny. That a child with bad character is a disgrace to his or her generation and therefore must say no to examination malpractices and corruption.
Abioye canvassed seriously on the need to make Nigeria great again despite the fact that corruption ignited by examination malpractices has eaten deep into the nation’s socio-economic and political activities but assured of a ray of hope in the tunnel which he said the reformed students now represents.
It was generally agreed that cheating during examination does not make a person or a nation great but rather the products of cheating are comprehensive liabilities instead of being an asset in terms of acceptability and visionary development.
The students who were vehemently told of the need to always say no to corruption and examination malpractices. They were also informed that graduating students without proper skills, integrity and patriotism are absolutely wrong and must be checkmated hence forth.
It was equally observed that lateness to school as well as laziness in attending to assignments as part of the antidotes to corruption.
To demonstrate and justify their acceptance to be vanguards in the NGO’s war against corruption and examination malpractices over 2,000 of the students including their principal and teachers volunteered to be registered members of the NGO’s Anti-Corruption and Examination Ethics Club.
Many of the students asked intelligent questions that border on the issues of states and vowed not o eat the corruption fruits eaten by their fathers and grand fathers.
From all indications, they passionately believed in the greatness of the nation and to abhor all shortcuts to success. The morning assembly was also rejuvenated by an emotionally ridden song composed and sang by Brother Okoroafor Sylvester, a gospel singer and the producer of the foremost Odumuije gospel song melodiously rendered the songs with the rhyme; “Africa we are Against Corruption.We are against examination malpractices and that is why we are here”.
At Baptist High School, Whethral Road, the message was the same and the acceptance of the vision and mission of the NGO was overwhelming. Something spectacular happened when a JSS 3 boy of 15 years cried out after the message and surprisingly held the National Co-ordinator hostage. The boy made an open but remorseful confession that he has been cheating in exams right from his primary school, that the message touched him and he regretted all his days of ignorance and vowed that hence forth he will be studious and a disciple in the crusade against examination malpractices and corruption.
The Principal Rev. Dr. Mrs. Lydia Ahanaonu out of excitement and in appreciation to the organization’s mission and vision donated stationeries and promised that the organization’s club in his school will be vibrant, efficient and effective.
Mrs. Ahanaonu.pointed out that the nation’s religious bodies and traditional institutions have failed in their social responsibilities of instilling good moral values and commended the NGO for targeting the teenagers in their national orientation and transformational programmes.
The team equally within the week moved to Christ the King International Anglican Academy, Owerri were over 2,000 students and their teachers were in assembly ground waiting considering the positive ripples the schools earlier visited have generated.
Abioye said that he is driven by patriotism and divine calling as he has severally identified corruption and examination malpractices as the latent factors strangulating Nigeria efforts in its recognition as one of the great nations of the world before international communities and leadership, considering her enviable socio-economic and political potentials.
The National Coordinator said that he has the conviction that Nigeria as a nation would be great again if she properly harnessed her younger generations and re-positioned their mindset through attitudinal change and transformation.
The motivational speaker, as usual, render the message with precision and diligence and the students and their teachers were overwhelmed with joy as justified by not even a pinned silence noise was noticed despite their numerical strength.
Abioye further informed that, the essence of forming, launching and inaugurating the Anti-Corruption Examination Malpractices, club in Nursery, primary and secondary Schools they visited is borne out of the desire and conviction of letting the younger generations know that cheating no matter the name tagged to it, is bad and if cheating starts from the teenagers, that the nation is finished while any nation its young men shun and jettison cheating that nation has already laid a solid foundation for her greatest.
He enjoined the younger generations not to emulate the evils practiced by the older generations insisting that corruption and examination malpractices are the cankerworms that destroy family, destiny, and nation, and passionately advised the younger generations on the need to jettison the vive as an aberration.
One of the teachers in the school, Mrs. Obiageri Njoku prayed for God blessings to the vision of the NGO noting examination malpractices and corruption as the major set back to the nation’s commitment in accelerated growth and advancement.
Njoku advised the founders of the NGO to ensure that they carry the crusade to every nook and crannies of the nation especially tertiary institutions, Ministries, Primary Schools, churches. market squares etc.
The team also visited Junior Session of Ikenegbu Girls Secondary School, Owerri with more than 1,500 students and their corporately dressed teachers were happily on hand to receive members of African Initiatives Against Corruption and Examination Malpractices (AICEM)
The comportment of the students who were less than 16years of age was commendable as Mr. Abioye mounted the podium with his usual well articulated inspirational and motivational messages of hope and reformation.
He also told them benefits of telling the truth always noting the love of God and service to humanity as a sure way of reducing or eradicating corrupt practices that engaging in those anti-social vices diminishes their personalities and integrity.
That success in life dwells on determination, hard work, and commitment to whatever endeavour lamenting that most parents encourage their children to cheat and called for caution while highlighting the implications.
The motivational speaker further identified corrupt practices to include bribe taking, favouritism, stealing, nepotism and other anti-social criminal vices, he noted that the crusade against examination malpractices and corruption which he is aggressively embarking through his non profitable organization has God’s grace and favour but lamented that the church which should be an exemplary Institution for good moral up bringing has dovetailed into an embodiment of corruption.
Abioye also revealed his plans to carry the message to most of the schools within the 36 states of the Federation and to hold a summit in Abuja in which Anti-Corruption and Examination Ethics club will be nationally inaugurated.
The acceptance of the message is encouraging, in view of the enormous benefits of the NGO’s mission and vision, the National Co-coordinator solicited for support and co-operation from the various tiers of government, corporate bodies, religious organizations and security agencies so as to reposition Nigeria to greater glory and acceptability.