Progressive Impact Organisation for Community Development (PRIMORG), with support from MacArthur Foundation, is set to implement a two-year anti-corruption intervention.
This, PRIMORG said, is part of its mandate to promote citizen’s engagement, popular participation and inclusiveness in governance in Nigeria
Entitled “Strengthening anti-corruption and accountability by amplifying corruption related investigative reports on the radio and through social media,” the planned action, which commenced on April 1, seeks to de-emphasise unethical practices and address lack of accountability in Nigeria’s public and private sectors, by amplifying investigative reports on corruption, to stimulate collective actions among Nigerians.
During the two-year period of the project, PRIMORG will produce and air the radio programme, “Public Conscience,” in selected radio stations in Nigeria. The programmes will also be relayed on the various social media platforms and on primorg.org.
According to Augustine Okhiria Agbonsuremi, Executive Director, flip side of the project is the identification of Nigerians and institutions that are daily resisting and saying no to corruption in their daily engagements in private and public lives. “These individual and organisational corrupt-free efforts shall be highlighted to encourage Nigerians to do things right, and to emphasise there are Nigerians who can be above board.”
PRIMORG said the project is underscored by the fact that corruption is identified as one of the greatest threats to democracy in Nigeria, today. All aspects of national life, including state institutions – the executive, legislature, judiciary, civil service and the police, among others – are mired deeply in this cancer of graft.
“Sadly, the anti-corruption agencies set up by government – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), have left gaps in their will and capacity to fight corruption.
“The media, the Fourth Estate of the Realm, which has the constitutional duty of making government accountable to the people, has not created enough room for that role, largely due to economic factors and for want of capacity.”