Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode on Wednesday emphasized the need for early inculcation of right virtues in children from the home front especially by discouraging any act, behaviour and attitude that abets corruption.
Speaking at the South-West Rollout of the Nigerian Women Against Corruption Initiative held at the Haven Event Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, Mrs Ambode said it was time for Nigerian women to take a stand against corruption by ensuring that their children are given the right upbringing based on time-honoured values of honesty, integrity, trust, fear of God and dignity of labour.
The initiative is a project of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in collaboration with the office of Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari.
Mrs Ambode, who spoke on behalf of Wives of South-West Governors, identified corruption as one of the major factors responsible for the current state of the Nigerian economy, but maintained that women are strategically positioned by their role as moulders of characters and behaviours to lead the way in the anti-graft war.
She said: “The fight against corruption must be seen as a priority in which everyone must be involved if we desire to sustainably address the issue of poverty and also make the economy work for everyone.
“I will therefore use this opportunity to lend my voice to all our mothers and sisters in Lagos State and the Southwest region to take a stand against corruption.
“Let us start the fight from our homes by discouraging any act, behaviour and attitude that aids and abets corruption. If we succeed as individuals in our various homes, there will be no room for corruption and corrupt practices in the larger society.”
Besides, Mrs Ambode commended EFCC for the initiative aimed at engaging women, who she said account for half of Nigeria’s population, in the fight against corruption, and expressed optimism that the campaign would go a long way in helping to achieve the desired effect on the polity.
In his welcome address, Acting EFCC Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu linked the socio-economic problems plaguing the country to long years of the unbroken chain of corruption, but stressed that it was now time for action, saying: “We cannot continue to sit and watch our country drift into intolerable poverty.”
Magu also commended Mrs Ambode for the immense support she had so far given to the EFCC, saying it was gratifying to note that the Wife of the Governor viewed herself as a stakeholder in the anti-graft war.
Also, Guest Speaker at the event and renowned human rights lawyer, Ayo Obe urged women to set the pace for the desired level of morality in the country.
Among notable figures that graced the event are Wives of Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti State Governors, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, Mrs Funso Amosun and Mrs Feyisetan Fayose; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule; former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Oba of Lagos, HRM Oba Rilwan Akiolu; Wife of General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God Worldwide, Mrs Folu Adeboye; President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Nike Akande; Wife of Ooni of Ife, Olori Wuraola Adewusi; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs, Abike Dabiri Erewa; Iyaloja General of Lagos, Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, among others.
