By Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The federal government, through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has reassured of its commitment to cultivating and fostering positive values in young Nigerians using the National Values Curriculum.
The Director of Public Enlightenment and Education of the Commission, Muhammed Ashiru Baba, gave this pledge while speaking during a meeting with the Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and other stakeholders in the state’s education sector.
Baba explained that apart from drawing up the values curriculum, ICPC had taken some actions essentially to enlighten stakeholders in the education sector to embrace its value reorientation and resuscitation thrust in order for them to transfer same to children.
According the to him, the twelve tenants of the NVC were instrumental in inculcating positive values in children adding that the NVC was not a special subject; rather that it had been infused into existing subjects such as Civic Education, Social Studies, Business Studies, etc.
The infused values were listed to include: honesty, discipline, justice, right attitude to work, and citizens’ rights and duties. Others, according to him, are: national consciousness, contentment, courage, concern for others, family values and traditional values.
Chairman of Ogun SUBEB, Dr Femi Majekodunmi, in his speech, expressed his excitement towards the initiative while noting that it had come at the right time when value reorientation is crucial among Nigerians given their value erosion and loss of integrity which had made many to resort to prayers as the only solution.
Also speaking, the Director of Academic and Social Services of the board, Mrs Agbatiogun Jokotade, lauded the Commission and underscored the importance of value resuscitation, saying that it would impact positively on the country. She further expressed the Board’s commitment to the establishment of ICPC’s Students Anti-Corruption Clubs in the state’s basic and junior secondary schools.
The Secretary of the state’s chapter of the National Union Teachers, Mr Samson Oyelere, speaking, commended ICPC for its efforts in ‘restructuring minds’ and advised the Commission to help strengthen Nigeria’s institutions in order to reduce corruption.