BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The management, staff and students of the Federal Polytechnic, Offa in Kwara State on Wednesday lamented rise in corrupt practices in the nation’s education sector and declared the need for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on graft in the sector.
Speaking during a ‘campaign against corruption in education sector’ organised by the Department of Mass Communication on the campus, the Acting Rector of the institution, Dr. Olarongbe Afolabi said the polytechnic was committed to eradicating corruption.
Afolabi said, “if I say it is possible in Nigeria for corruption to be stopped completely in Nigeria, then, I am not being realistic. But the fact is that corruption can be contained. And when you are containing corruption, you are stopping it gradually. The ultimate goal is to stop it completely, but we have to start from somewhere and we are starting on a very good note in this polytechnic.
“Stopping corruption completely will depend on everyone’s mindset. The thing is in Nigeria, we are so hypocritical in fighting corruption. Are we sincere? Or we are just doing mere propaganda? The present government wants to fight corruption and we would remember when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed power, he said corruption is one of the things he would fight. Security is also there and economy. Buhari has been fighting corruption, but how far has he gone?
“He (Buhari) is doing it, but as far as we don’t change our mindset, it would be very hard to eliminate corruption in this country. But we can get there, we have started. We know where we are going. This Corruption in Education Campaign is an attestation to what the school is doing to fight corruption.
“The present administration which I head is committed to fighting corruption and we are doing it so well. We have been talking to students and staffers.
“If we are talking about corruption, there are so many fronts to face. Look at the students, are they aiding corruption? Look at the staff, are they aiding in exploitation and extortion of the students? Sex for marks and the like? It takes two to tango,” he said.
Also speaking, the Head of Mass Communication Department, Wole Alawode said the purpose of the campaign is to call the attention of all concerned persons, agencies and stakeholders to the corruption in the education sector.
“From the look of things, maybe the Federal government have to declare an emergency on the educational sector. We are having problems. What are the youth doing?
“Shortcut will lead Nigeria to more problems. So, that is why we need to call the attention of the Federal Government to the education sector. Educational malpractices, cheating and all. In Nigeria, everyone has to wake up to how we are developing our youths. And how the educational system is functioning,” Alawode said.
