Some Abuja residents on Monday, stressed the need for all to imbibe integrity as a virtue to develop the country and maintain its glory.
The residents in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the issue of integrity should be cut across all segments of the society rather than be limited to the civil servant.
While speaking on the various sensitization programmes on integrity for civil servants, they said that the issue needs a holistic approach.
Mr Johnson Emmanuel, an engineer, said that integrity was something the country should focus on to address insecurity and other social vices.
According to him, if we want the country to develop, there is a need to sensitize Nigerians on the need to imbibe integrity as a virtue.
“ The issue of integrity is not only among civil servants alone because other citizens of the country need to imbibe the culture of integrity for a better Nigeria.
“I got a drink in the traffic, on my way to Kano to supervise a project and when I check the expiry date, the drink had expired.
“And, I am sure that the hawker was aware but he went ahead to sell it to me,” he said.
Emmanuel said that some traders would know that their products had expired but they still would sell such products to hawkers who in turn sell the same to consumers.
“This is also part of what integrity should address, this is why we need a holistic approach on the issue of integrity,’’ he said.
Mrs. Nwoyi Gabriel, a trader, said the issue of integrity should start from the home, just like we say charity begins at home.
“Parents should try to be honest and this will encourage their children to also live as honest life and this will be translated to the larger society.
“Nigerians must understand that integrity is a virtue and its reward is unimaginable,’’ she said.
Mrs. Zainab Abdulgaffar, a civil servant, said integrity should not be focused on civil servants alone but all sectors of the country.
She said that students now found it difficult to write examinations by themselves, adding that “this makes them do the unbelievable just to get good results.
“They now rely on malpractices, which affect our education system. Imagine a person who cannot spell or speak fluent English coming out as a graduate from our universities,’’ she said.
Abdulgaffar urged parents to stop getting mercenaries for their children during examinations rather they should encourage them to write examinations by themselves.
She also urged parents to build a good reading culture in their children as this would go a long way to help them in the future.(NAN)
