Kano state government is targeting students of secondary schools in its ongoing campaign against corruption in order to enlighten them on its negative impacts, Chairman, Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado has said.
Rimingado told Kano Chronicle that the aim was to disabuse the minds of the young generation against corruption, saying “we want to catch them young so that when they grew up they will not engage in any form of corruption because they are the leaders of tomorrow.”
The chairman said the commission had established anti-corruption clubs in all secondary schools in the state in order to sensitise students on the dangers associated to corruption and corruption-related offenses.
“Each club is being manned by Kano anti-corruption commission’s staff. The students will be train on how to follow the activities of public office holders in their respective localities and report back to the commission through our personnel for necessary actions.”
He said similar clubs would be established in all tertiary institutions across the state, noting that “we will start with Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST) Wudil, Aminu Kano College of Legal and Islamic Studies and College of Arts and Remedial Sciences (CAS).”
He said students of the three institutions had organised series of symposiums on anti-corruption and were ready to join the anti-corruption clubs when established.
He said, “Fight against corruption is dynamic, hence needs holistic approach to curve it. We have formed anti-corruption vanguards, anti-corruption clubs in secondary schools and in the near future we will form similar clubs in all tertiary institutions as well as anti-corruption units in all government ministries and parastatals in the state in order to fight corruption from different angles.
“Nigerians need to be patriotic to fight corruption at all levels and unless we adopt a holistic approach and it with all seriousness, we will not achieve much in the war against corruption.”
Rimingado said, “To achieve that, we must involved everybody including students and that is why we have taken campaign against corruption to our schools across the state.”
Thousands of students and members of anti-corruption clubs from various secondary schools have attended the launching of the schools’ anti-corruption clubs, held at the Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Development, Mambayya House, Kano.
Some members of the clubs, who spoke to Kano Chronicle expressed determination to help the commission in its fight against corruption, saying from the little knowledge they got from the commission about corruption they have understood that everybody could make a great impact in the crusade against corruption.
Habiba Muhammad from Unity School Kachako in Takai local government, said, “I am impressed that I was selected to be among the members of Anti-Corruption Club in my school. I was moved by the lectures delivered by the anti-corruption personnel, the first day we were selected as members of the club.
“I was made to understand that corruption is a disease that is eaten deeply into our body and unless we stop it and heal the wound it inflicted in us, it will gradually consume the whole body. The commission has enlightened us about the dangers associated to corruption and we have understood that corruption is virtually our major problem in this country and we have to fight it squarely.”
Another student, Maryam Ibrahim from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Garko in Garko local government, said she was made to understand that corruption was not limited to public office holders.
She said, “From the lectures we have attended, I understand that corruption has various forms and is everywhere including our respective homes. I was made to understand that corruption can happen between a teacher and student, between a husband and wife, between a father and son and so on so forth.
“I was also made to understand that sex relationship between teachers and female students is also another form of corruption and the commission can investigate such case. To be honest with you, with establishment of anti-corruption clubs in secondary schools, many students will be enlightened about corruption and this will bring serious changes in their future life.”
