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Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Bolanle Ambode has appealed to all mothers and women in the state and the country at large to take a stand against corruption.
She spoke at Protea Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, during a one day seminar and award presentation, organized by Fight Against Corruption Organization (FACO), with the theme; “The role of women in the fight against corruption”.
Ambode, who was represented by Titilola Ayinla, said the fight against corruption should start from the home front by discouraging any act, behaviour and attitude that aid and abet corrupt tendencies.
According to her; “If we succeed individually in our various homes, there will be no room for corruption and corrupt practices in the larger society.
“If we do not kill corruption, it will eventually kill us. The short and long term effects of corruption are too severe for any country and its citizens; hence the need to take steps to redress the situation before it’s too late.”
She added that the fight against corruption must be seen as a priority in which everyone is a stakeholder and actively involved, if we truly desire to address the issue of pervasive poverty and make the economy work for everyone.
Ambode congratulated and urged the awardees to intensify efforts to fight corruption in their respective capacities while also commending FACO for the initiative.
Executive Chairman, FACO, Dr Francis Shopekan said the nation cannot go well without the impute of women, whom he described as home builders and future leaders.
“Women build the home and the family, if we exempt them in the fight against corruption, we will go nowhere. Some women have a stronger heart than men. Giving the women platform and support will go a longer way to encourage them to rise to the full task and capacity in this nation.”
According to him, to curb corruption, government has to pick all those that have a foreign account, freeze the accounts and have a dialogue with them and make it mandatory that they should establish businesses in the country where they will employ a minimum of 100,000 youths.
“To fight corruption is a collective responsibility and government cannot do it alone. We all need to do the right things and leave the right legacy behind for the next generation,” he said.”
The keynote speaker, a Human Right Activist, Funmi Falana, said no country is free from corruption.
She noted that the prosecution process in the country is faulty; adding that it is one of the reasons corruptions is still the way it is in Nigeria.
She said women have always been in the fore front of fighting corruption, noting that women are the custodian of virtues in the society.
“We are the ones that brought up the children right from cradle to adulthood and whatever we put into the children as cradle is what they take up to become responsible citizens. Women should teach the virtue and let children know that corruption is something they should have nothing to do with. We must take away the love of money but imbibe in them hard work.”
She said women should be given the chance in the country, noting that men have failed the country but women will do it better. “Women must be involved in politics and be a part of decision making process. The presence of women in politics will help curb corruption in our country.”
“What we have in Nigeria is not democracy, it is moneycracy. We must address our system of politics and the entire process must be changed. We can only deal with corruption if we all fulfill our roles in the home and the society at large. Corruption will continue except we all stand up and take necessary steps to curb corruption,” she said.
Former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof Ibiyemi Bello said corruption is in all sectors, urging all to vote their conscience in elections.
She urged women never to give up on any situation, noting that women have to work twice as hard as men.
“Women should get busy, compete with men in their field and do extra work,” she said
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