Academic and non-academic staff of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State have joined the anti-corruption crusade of the Federal government by massively participating in a three-day workshop on entrenching integrity in the University system.
At the three-day workshop which took place between 15 and 17 August 2018 had the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Provost of College of Medicine, Directors, Deans, Head of Department and other senior officers of the University, totaling 823 people in attendance.
Each of the three days was set aside for different group of participants within the institution. The first day was targeted at all senior staff of the University, the second day for Heads of Departments, Sub-Deans, Faculty Officers, Exams Officers, Works officers, Procurement officers while the third day was targeted at Directors, Provosts, Deans, amongst others.
In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde stated that the Capacity Building Workshop was the first of its kind to be organized by ICPC for Senior Staff of the Universities in the South-Western part of the country in particular and Nigeria in general to sensitize university staff on the forms, patterns, and consequences of corrupt acts on their dignity and their job integrity. He further observed that the lecture theme “Anti-Corruption Ethics and integrity” was not only appropriate and timely when viewed against the background of the condemnation and resentment generated by the prevalence of the menace in public life in Nigeria but also pertinent.
Professor Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde posited that corruption had been with us in Nigeria from time immemorial and the cankerworm had eaten deep into the body fabric of the nation stressing that “corruption had infected nearly every facet of our national life, in schools, homes, Government offices, conduct of business and the private sector. In fact, the menace was viewed as the biggest threat to the corporate existence of any organization and indeed, the country”.
He further opined that the fact that Nigerian Universities had been infested with the plague of corruption was no more news, and that corruption and impunity had adversely affected the governance of our Universities and the quality of education received by the students.
According to him, there were wide reports in the national dailies of corrupt practices in the Universities and these had taken different dimensions. Such reported cases he mentioned, included unfair allocation of grades, contract inflation, mobilization for NYSC before graduation, admission racketeering, nepotism, sexual harassment, diversion of University funds for personal use and Certificate/Transcript racketeering. The Vice-Chancellor thereafter informed the gathering that it was against the background of the various reports on corrupt practices in Nigerian public life especially in Universities that informed the ICPC to beam its searchlight on the nation’s Tertiary Institutions.
The VC thereafter applauded the Management of ICPC and ACAN for considering OOU for this important training programme while urging all the participants to listen and participates in every session of the programme adding that he hoped that ICPC and ACAN would continue to support the University in areas of Capacity building beyond the presentation.
He concluded his address with appreciation of the sponsors of the event, the First Bank of Nigeria Plc and Zenith Bank Plc and called on other development partners to partake in working with the University to achieve the University’s set goals and desires.
Eleven papers were presented at the workshop such as; Corruption in the Nigerian Higher Education System: What it is, what can/should be done about it; Overview of National Integrity Laws and their Application to Higher Education System; Corruption in the Workplace: Types, Risks and Consequences; Corruption Risks in Public Procurement; Managing Leaders for Ethical Compliance; Administrative Measures for Controlling Corruption in the Workplace; Entrenching Ethics and Integrity in the Procedures and Processes of Institutions; Whistleblowing as a Tool for Fighting Corruption in the Workplace; Leading with Integrity to Achieve a Corruption-Free University System; Budgeting and Managing Finances in the University; Roles & Responsibilities of Provosts/Deans/HODs/DRs/PARs and similar officers in the University.
Participants were taken through the above listed topics by facilitators from the ICPC/ACAN, including Prof. Sola Akinrinade, Mrs. R.A. Okoduwa and Mr. AbdulAhmed. Also involved in the facilitation were the Vice-Chancellor OOU, the Deputy Vice Chancellor and the Bursar respectively.
An exempt from ACANNEUS, a publication of Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), Third Edition, December, 2018.
By: Abdul Ahmed
