By Olayinka Latona

LAGOS — The Enachioken of Abiriba Kingdom, HRM Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu IV, has said integrity and conscience are essential to national transformation, urging Nigerians to embrace honesty and ethical conduct in their personal and public lives.

The monarch spoke at Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, shortly after receiving the Most Outstanding Integrity Royal Father of the Year award at the Nigerian Patriots & Integrity Award Conference organised by the Nigerian Association of Christian Journalists (NACJ).

Ogbu described the recognition as a call to greater service to humanity, saying integrity remained fundamental to responsible citizenship.

“Integrity is everything indeed because once you have integrity, it means you have conscience. And if you have conscience, it means that you are a human being,” he said.

The monarch also advocated the entrenchment of ethical and moral principles in Nigerian politics, saying political office should be used to serve the people rather than deceive them.

Moghalu: Nigeria needs deeper integrity

Delivering the keynote address on “Integrity & Patriotism: Key Factors to Building a Virile Nation,” former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Chief Dr George Moghalu, said Nigeria’s major challenge was not a shortage of human or natural resources but a deficit of integrity.

Moghalu, who was the guest speaker, said the country needed citizens who were willing to uphold honesty and contribute to nation-building rather than exploit the system.

He said the responsibility for rebuilding the country extended beyond government and political leaders to individual citizens.

“It is not about me, it is not about you, but it is about them and those who are holding responsible positions of authority.

“I must be honest with you that this is not a lecture on government policy, nor a call to political activism. It is a call to personal character worked out in very ordinary details of daily life,” he said.

Moghalu said Nigeria needed deeper integrity rather than louder complaints, stressing that national development was closely linked to the character of citizens.

“Nigeria does not need louder complaints. Nigeria needs deeper integrity. A nation cannot rise higher than the character of the people who make it up. And no law and no change of government can substitute for citizenship and honesty, patriotic hearts,” he said, citing Proverbs 14:34.

He identified honesty in business, truthfulness in everyday dealings and raising children with moral and national consciousness as critical areas for national renewal.

Moghalu urged Nigerians to stand for what was right even when doing so came at a personal cost.

“It may cost you, but stand for what is right. Stand and defend it. It may cost you, but at the end of the day, I can guarantee you, I can assure you, your position will be justified,” he said.

Drawing from biblical examples, he noted that Jeremiah did not wait for a perfect government before rebuilding the broken wall, while Joseph and Daniel maintained their integrity despite operating in difficult environments.

Ikunna seeks regional government

Also speaking, Hon. Chief Joseph Chukwuma Ikunna, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and aspirant for the Ohaji-Egbema, Oguta and Oru West Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 elections, called for the restructuring of Nigeria into a regional system of government.

Ikunna, who received the Integrity Man of the Year award, argued that many of the country’s challenges were rooted in what he described as a faulty political structure.

He said greater autonomy for regions would improve accountability and enable federating units to develop institutions suited to their local needs.

“The country is too big as one unit to manage. Perhaps if we started to restructure and the regions got more autonomy, then we can start from there,” he said.

Ikunna proposed that regions should have greater control over the election and appointment of officials, as well as institutions such as prisons and police formations, with local intelligence capabilities.

He likened the proposal to the United States system, where states exercise substantial powers while federal agencies handle matters that cut across state boundaries.

Morka, Okhai seek collective action

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Barrister Felix Morka, who received the Most Outstanding Political Marketing Communicator of the Year 2026 award, urged Nigerians to contribute to building a stronger and more prosperous country.

“We must all come together to build a strong, virile, successful country where people will really live their lives to its fullness as ordained by God,” Morka said.

He urged Nigerians to contribute to national development regardless of their professions or positions.

Earlier, the National President of the NACJ, Dr Charles Okhai, said the theme, “Integrity is Everything,” was chosen to underscore the importance of integrity in national development.

Okhai said the association’s objective was not merely to honour individuals but also to encourage others by demonstrating that integrity could be recognised and rewarded.

On the criteria for selecting the award recipients, he said the association conducted background research to ensure that the awardees had no known public record of corruption.

“We do our research. Although we know that nobody can be 100 per cent, but first and foremost, none of them has anything incriminating on them. None of them has ever been accused of any corruption publicly,” he said.

He added that the awards were intended to encourage Nigerians to uphold integrity in their various spheres of life.

The event climaxed with the presentation of plaques and certificates to the award recipients, amid calls for renewed commitment to patriotism, integrity and responsible citizenship.