Works Ministry sensitizes staff on corruption trends in Public service

The Nigerian Ministry of Works and Housing has organised a sensitisation seminar for its officers on corruption trends in the public service.

 

The seminar which had as theme “Corruption Trends in Public Service, Causes and Impact on National Development,” was organised by the Anti- Corruption and Transparency Unit, (ACTU) at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Abuja, Nigeria.

 

Declaring the workshop open, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola advised participants to be transparent and obey the rules and regulations guiding the operations of their schedules as they carry out their assignments.

 

Fashola, represented by the Director Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Mrs. Blessings Lere-Adams, emphasized that corruption is a crime and urged participants to shun it in a bid to live a peaceful retirement life devoid of incessant invitations from anti-corruption agencies after retirement.

 

He added that adopting a corrupt free attitude in the course of duty would enhance Nigeria’s overall development as a nation.

 

Presenting her paper tagged, “Corruption and Its Impact,” a facilitator from the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Matters Commission, (ICPC), Mrs. Adebimpe Abodunrin, explained to participants that every civil servant has been trusted with the assignment given to him and should not be seen betraying it by being corrupt.

 

“Public Service is a position of trust, don’t betray it,” she said.

 

She urged participants to exhibit good characters while carrying out their duties as the public service was vitally important and majorly counted when any country is being adjudged corrupt or not by the ranking of Transparency International.

 

According to her the act of corruption which included abuse of office, dishonesty, breaking of rules and regulations, evil and immoral acts among others were  major hindrances to any nation’s development and should be shunned completely by Nigerians in all sectors if Nigeria must develop in all areas, noting that individual actions in workplace could either have a negative or positive impact on the entire system.

 

Mrs. Abodunrin further gave the effects of corruption on national development to include, lack of development, high rate of unemployment, lack of qualified personnel, high cost of living, lack of basic amenities among others.

 

Another facilitator from ICPC, Mrs. Joy Ebbah, while taking the participants through ethical behaviour in workplace, explained that the ethics of an organisation are the statues and policies of that organisation.

 

She noted that maintaining an ethical workplace simply means maintaining professional workplace as well as ability to obey rules and regulations guiding their offices.

 

Ebbah, while calling on the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit to constantly review and update if necessary the code of ethics of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, affirmed that Nations have failed due to the workers’ failure to abide by ethical rules by developing good and professional characters such as transparency and obedience.

 

Ebbah urged participants to develop a mindset of commitment and obedience if Nigeria must attain its national development.