Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) an NGO with the support of MacArthur Foundation has stressed the need to champion the fight against corruption in local languages.
To foster the awakened call on the Fight against Corruption in Local Languages, Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre held a Town Hall meeting with the theme: “Safeguarding Public Infrastructure Against Corrupt Practices: The Role of the Community on 24th August 2024, at City Green Hotel, Jimeta-Yola, Adamawa State.
Participants were drawn from the Media, Civil Society Organizations, Community Based Organizations, Religious and Community leaders as well as anti-Corruption, Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC), National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Nigerian Police and other security agencies.
At the end of the Town Hall meeting the following resolutions were made to fast tract the Fight Against Corruption through Community Participation.
1. The Town Hall Meeting, frowns at attitudes of People on aiding and abating Corruption and stealing within their respective communities and urged citizens to rise up and prevent bleak future as a result of Corruption.
2. Participants recognized that fighting the menace of corruption and Promotion of Good Governance is a collective responsibilities of all citizens and call on the people to demand for accountability by shunning bad behaviour of celebrating corruptly exposed persons.
3. The meeting called on the community to be involved in Security Infrastructures development to enhance security and safeguarding Lives and Property by providing credible intelligence and forming community watch guard to compliment efforts of security agencies of protecting public infrastructure.
4. Participants calls for proper scrutiny of budgetary provision and implementation to curtail high costs of infrastructure maintenance, expansion, remodeling and upgrade of facilities and buildings by governments.
5. The Town Hall Meeting, calls for behavioral change and change of attitudes of people by ensuring that public resources are used for a greater good through effective management of public infrastructure.
6. Also the meeting urged for proper conducts of landlords and Agents in reducing ‘Social Corruption’ by protecting people’s rights and freedom.
7. The Town Hall Meeting solicit for public and governments to advocates for inclusion of People with Disabilities (PWD’s) in the fight against corruption in Nigeria in order to achieve maximum result and development of the society to be corruption free.
8. The meeting also calls for multi-stakeholders cooperation to fight corruption and urged citizens to make effective use of Freedom of Information Act (FOI) as a tool of holding public and public officers accountable.
9. Also the meeting calls for strengthening of institutional Capacity in the fight against corruption and advocated for a speedy trial of corruption cases in Nigeria.
10. Communities were obliged to monitor and report wrongdoings in the execution of projects in their localities by employing WHISTLEBLOWING mechanism of anti-corruption agencies (EFCC and ICPC) and security agencies for appropriate action.
11. The Town Hall meeting commends Fombina FM Radio, Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre (WAMAC) and McArthur Foundation for their efforts in the fight against corruption, and called for stepping down of programmes in other local languages.
12. Participants called on religious leaders to continue engaging their followers in their sermons to fight corruption and social vices.
This communique was made this day 24th July 2024 at Jimeta-Yola, Adamawa State.
