
A non-governmental organization called Connected Development (CODE) has advised students to imbibe a culture of integrity, transparency, and accountability.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organisation, Mr. Hamzat Lawal, advised this year’s intra-state Civic Club Quiz Competition held on Friday in Port Harcourt.
Lawal said that the group collaborated with Oxfam in Nigeria on the Power of Voices Partnership Fair for All project, spanning across Akwa Ibom, Imo, Cross River, Rivers, Delta, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Represented by Ifunanya Okeke, the CODE Community Development Officer, he said that the project initiative focused on enhancing the capacities of civil society organizations and community stakeholders, with the primary aim of promoting transparent governance in oil-rich regions.
He said that CODE, in line with the vision, established civic clubs in secondary schools, utilising the civic manual as a guide.
“The club’s primary objective is to empower young students in the project states, stimulating a positive mindset shift through re-orientation and civic education to learn to contribute to public processes.
“The civic manual, serving as a key resource, incorporates localised materials and storytelling techniques to make concepts of transparency and accountability relevant to students,” Lawal said.
He advised students to be advocates of integrity, transparency and accountability in their various schools to make the country a better place to live.
In a remark, the State Support Officer for CODE in Rivers, Mr. Charles Uffort, said that the competition among three secondary schools on the civic club activities was sponsored by Oxfam Nigeria and implemented by the group in the state.
Uffort said that the essence of the competition was to sensitise the students on how to imbibe a culture of transparency and accountability.
“This quiz competition is between the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Rumuokuta, Niger Delta Science School, and Models Girls’ Secondary School, Aluu in Rivers.
“We are going about schools and communities making sure that we instill integrity and accountability in the young citizens to understand that they must be transparent and accountable in every sphere of life,” he said.
Uffort said that the group’s efforts were yielding positive results, especially when they went back to schools to get feedback concerning their sensitization activities.
According to Uffort, the students have been able to differentiate between corruption and integrity after sensitization, and we are happy for the positive impacts made.
He thanked the CEOs of CODE and Oxfam for consistently putting the project together for the past three years.
In an address of welcome, the Principal Government Girls’ Secondary School, Rumuokuta, Mrs. Gladys Promise, represented by the Head of English Department, Mr. Igwe Moore, urged the students to leverage the opportunity of the CODE Civic Club to be better citizens.
Promise commended CODE and Oxfam for the privilege given to young Nigerians and urged other organisations to emulate the group to stop corruption in the country.
A student of the Niger Delta Science School, Miss Favour Wali, who spoke on behalf of the schools, said that it was a privilege to participate in the competition.
“I want to thank CODE and Oxfam for this program; it showed that they are ready to see young Nigerians uphold integrity in their daily lives while growing.
“I hope that other foundations and sponsors will follow them to make Nigeria an integrity-based community,” Wali said.
Highlights of the programme included the presentation of a trophy to Niger Delta Science School, which emerged first in the competition with 50.5 points.
Government Girls’ Secondary School, Rumuokuta, came in second with 47 points, and Model Secondary School came in third with 43 points.
Consolation prizes, comprising school bags and reading books, were given to other schools that emerged second in quizzes, debates, drama, spoken words, and talk shows. (NAN)