By Bashir Bello

Worried by the cankerworm called corruption, the Director, Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies, Bayero University Kano, BUK, Prof. Isma’ila Zango over the weekend said the centre has deployed strategies to sensitize nigerians to detest corruption which has become pervasive in all sectors across the country.

The Director stated this while briefing newsmen on activities carried out by the centre within one year under its 3-year project titled, “Promoting Accountability and Anti-Corruption Using Behavioral Change Approach 2021-2024,” funded by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Prof. Zango who doubles as the Project Director said a lot of nigerians now sees corruption as a norm hence the need for sensitization for behavioural change to change the mindset of nigerians towards the menace.

According to him, “What we are basically doing is to amplify anti-corruption messages across the nigerian society. Largely targeting the grassroots through the Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, Community Based Organizations, CBOs, Faith Based Organizations, FBOs and then using the media to extend these messages. Why we are doing this, is to let nigerians understand the negative consequences of corruption so that we will be able to achieve a change of behaviour for people to now realize they can actually do something in order to fight corruption.

“The issue is that corruption in this country has become endemic, very pervasive and all sector are not safe. Because it is so entrenched so it is difficult for you to root it (corruption) out.

“One of the impediment is the pervasiveness of corruption in the nigerian society across all sectors. And I think that is the major set back that we are facing.

“And as we have seen over the years, government agencies are not sufficient to be 100 per cent effective to fight corruption. You need the corporation of the larger society. And for the larger society to come on board, you need to identify some entry points and they are the CBOs, CSOs, FBOs that we are actually working with in so many states across the country. So the aim is to make people begin to detest corruption and any corrupt act by helping them to understand the negative consequences,” he said.

Prof. Zango continued when he said, “As a grantee, the Centre has been working on the project with four sub-grantees namely: The Interfaith Network Against Corruption (INAC) Kano, the Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC) Kaduna, the Inter-religious Coalition Against Corruption in Nigeria (ICACN) Lagos and the University of Nigeria Nsukka Muslim Community (UNNMC) Nsukka.

“Ten primary schools across the Kano State have been selected by INAC where drama series will be acted by their pupils. The aim is to sensitize children in primary schools through drama presentation about the need to imbibe the ideals and culture of transparent and accountable lifestyle. Over 10,000 pupils are expected to benefit from this activity.

“Furthermore, our school-based programs to produce more young anti-corruption activists is gaining ascendency because 11 additional students’ interfaith anti-corruption clubs were created by the INAC-Kano in some selected secondary schools plus the existing 21 active ones in Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Katsina and Niger States totaling 36 clubs.

“Also, the Zamfara State Anti-corruption Network, ZAN has trained 20 Young Anti-corruption Advocates, YAAs mostly female students. They have been recognized by the school authorities to run school-based anti-corruption clubs in their respective schools.

“Similarly, the number of anti-corruption networks established and supported by the project has been increased from 7 to 11 in the last 12 months,” the Centre’s Director, Prof. Zango however stated.