Benin City, Nigeria – Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, has called on religious and traditional leaders in the South East geographical zone of Nigeria to use their positions and institutions to advance anti-corruption issues within the region and beyond.
Rev David Ugolor, ANEEJ Executive Director, who was represented by Innocent Edemhanria, program manager at a town hall meeting held at the Residency Hotel Enugu, November 28 2019 said that religious and traditional institutions have a big role to play in using behavioral change approach to tackle corruption because traditional and religious institutions are highly respected by their followers and subjects.
“You have wide reach and influence and millions of people listen to you, follow you and obey your instructions and commands. If your people who see you as role models identify with anti-corruption messages coming from you, and if they act upon them, I can assure you that corruption will be a thing of the past in Nigeria or at least be reduced to a tolerable level,” the Rev Ugolor told participants at the town hall meeting.
As part of the discussions at the town hall meeting, His Royal Highness, Eze Ifeanyi Uwahaemu of Onicha Nwenkwo Autonomous Community in Ezeinhitte Local Government Area of Imo state, said that South-Easterners welcomed the ANEEJ drive to enlist traditional rulers and religious institutions to fight against corruption.
“There is consensus that existing behaviors where the society recognizes and celebrates corrupt people and those who get quick wealth in the society is a major problem that is fueling corruption,” HRH Ifeanyi Uwahaemu said.
Citing reports from Chatham House and the Basel Institute, Rev Ugolor said that if traditional leaders and religious institutions use their positions to speak against and discourage corruption, it will increase the level of participation of the citizens in the fight against the scourge, and that adopting such approach could make citizens build a strong resistance to corrupt persons, leaders and behavior.
The town hall meeting was held in Enugu state as part of the implementation of the “Monitoring of Recovered Assets in Nigeria through Transparency and Accountability (MANTRA) project which ANEEJ is implementing with support from the UKAID, as part of the Anti-Corruption in Nigeria (ACORN) Programme.
“Even though a number of laws also exist to deal with issues of corruption, and even though people have been arrested, prosecuted and jailed for corruption, yet the problem remains unsolved. That is why I consider this event important because the issues for discussion are relevant to the development and transformation of the South East and Nigeria at large,” Ugolor said.
