The Integrity Organisation, a group set up to empower people, systems and institutions against corruption had on Tuesday launched a website dedicated to corruption reportage.
The site www.egunje.info which was publicly unveiled at the Ladi Kwali Hall of Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, was designed to give the common man a platform to report any form of corrupt practices committed by individuals, companies, government and its agencies.
The well-attended event with the theme “Spirit of Egunje”, was supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). “Egunje” is a Yoruba word meaning Bribe.
The event also witnessed presentation of gifts to secondary school students who came top in the competition organised for the same purpose .
Students of Loyola Jesuit, Abuja cleared the top three positions in the writing completion. Prizes were also given to winners in the story-telling and poem categories.
Chairman, Integrity Organisation, Kastina State, Alhaji Ndanusa Yinusa Yakubu who presented the prizes, hailed the youngsters, urging them to continue to use their talents to preach against corruption in the country.
Briefing newsmen after the event, Executive Director, Integrity Organisation, Olusoji Apampa said the present administration’s fight against corruption is weak.
He said: “The aim of the site is not to be a whistle-blower. We only want people to tell their story. For instance, you want to access a free medical facility and someone says you have to pay something for it. Just go to the site and tell us”
“Corruption has destroyed the lives of millions of people. Before the debate of who will succeed Yar’adua; before the debate of who will contest the presidential elections, we had huge reserves. But they blew it and then removed subsidy.”
“The time has come for everyone to speak out. We are encouraging people to re-examine their values. We do not seek to tarnish people’s image, we only want to put out the ills of the system”
“We want citizens to come and report cases of corruption in service delivery. What we are looking for is pattern. If a number of people come out and complain about a company or agency, we will go there and do our part by finding out why it is so.” Apampa stressed further.
The Exective Director also noted that those in remote areas can also use the site. “All they need do is fill the complaint form and send via their phones or ask someone to help them do it.”
When asked if the group is affiliated to Honourable Farouk Lawan’s Integrity Group, Apampa retorted: “No please. Not at all. We have been in existence since 1995.”
Earlier, in an interview with DailyPost, President of Commonwealth Lawyers Association, Mrs Boma Ozobia said the government still has a lot to do if it wants to cleanse the system.
She said: “On the question of what should be done to corrupt persons, I do not believe that capital punishment will solve the problem. However, corrupt persons must be kept behind bars for a longer period of time.”
When asked how long, Ozobia continued: “Very long. Throw away the key and make sure they have no access to the money they stole. Then government should retrieve the money and use for development”
On the issue of establishment of special courts to try fraud cases, the legal practitioner said: “Recently I met the Chief Justice of Uganda when I went there for a conference and he told me that the country’s constitution does not empower him to create courts. So what he did was to designate special judges who are capable of trying money laundering cases”
“If we apply that here, people will definitely begin to sit up and do what is right” she concluded.
The Integrity Organisation is made up of activists who are advocating for change through active campaigns against bribery and corruption in Nigeria.
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