The chairman of Eleme local government council, Hon. Oji N. Ngofa has organized a 2 day workshop for the stakeholders of the council including himself, supervisors of the council, directors and staff from April 12 to 13th, 2012.
The workshop was held at one of the resort centers in Eleme, Zina Hotel, to school the participants on corruption laws and delivering of good governance to the citizenry.
Speaking to the newsmen at the end of the first day, Hon. Ngofa said after considering the load of work in the council and means of delivery, he decided to invite ICPC to come in and educate the entire system of the laws and consequences involved in corruption.
Hon. Ngofa and the workshop speaker, Mrs. R. A. Okoduwa in their different speeches said the workshop would awaken participants from their ignorance as they would be alerted to laws that establish anti-corruption bodies in the country and how they work and how participants should work along the line with the code of conduct bureau.
Mrs. Okoduwa pointed out the closeness of local government council to the people, the benefit the citizens needed to derive from the council, how they will suffer negative effect in case it does not do what it is supposed to do and appreciated the council boss for organizing the workshop, adding that at the end of the training lifestyle of the participants are going to change for proper service delivery.
Hon. Ngofa stated that by the end of the workshop severe punishment would be faced by defaulters of the law as a detriment to others.
In his address, the ICPC boss, Akwa Ibom State Zone, Mr. Nnaji Josephat Ozoemenam, said corruption has been so institutionalized in Nigeria that many Nigerians either by act of omission of commission have come to see corruption as a way of life. He stated that corruption has battered the image of Nigerians outside and that the public sector, particularly local government administration, appears to be worst hit by corruption.
Mr Ozoemenam said the workshop was intended to bring in transparency and accountability which he said are two mutually reinforcing elements of good governance.
“Ttransparency, when consistency applied, promote accountability and an accountability relationship promotes transparency in the activities and programme of the agent/institution. The two qualities involve many of such actions and therefore cannot easily be separated in discussion,’ he said.
Nnaji used the chance to point out so many anti-corruption acts in place and that they should make proper use of the workshop to make things better for themselves. ###
Mene Gbarabe
