A Professor of Economics of Education, Prof Godwin Chukwuemeka Nwaeke, has called for the incorporation of Anti-corruption Study in the educational curriculum at all levels of education.
He made the call recently while delivering the 52nd Inaugural Lecture of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) at the university’s auditorium.
Prof. Nwaeke emphasised that the move would help to combat corruption as early as possible and engage young Nigerians in the promotion of responsible governance.
Speaking on the topic, “May the Goose not die in Nigeria”, the 52nd Inaugural Lecturer stressed the need for all to “embrace attitudinal change from the usual nonchalant and corrupt mind set known as ‘Nigerian factor’ and restore the country to the path of good governance”.
He said “for good governance to prevail, Nigerians must develop the right attitude, values and ideas for greatness, and there must be institutional or structural changes at all levels of government to help ensure the gains of good and rapid socio-economic development for Nigerians.
“Leaders and stakeholders in the Nigerian project must put serious attention on education, plugging corruption loopholes and building the capacity to continually improve the living standard of the people”.
Nwaeke continued that “government’s education policies must ensure that Nigerian education system is more functional and relevant to facilitate comprehensive national growth and development by encouraging vocational, technical and entrepreneurial education that will bestow relevant skills for productive engagement in order to reduce the high level of unemployment in the country”.
He advocated that vocational, science, technology and entrepreneurship education “should be more creative and functional and should start at the early stage of education to inculcate in the Nigerian youths’ positive values such as honesty, integrity, dignity of labour, positive work ethics, opportunities for personal development, confidence to adapt to new situations and change, national consciousness and strong revulsion for materialism and corruption”.
The Professor of Economics of Education stated that such education must be adequately funded and well equipped with relevant resource inputs for effective operations.
While urging governors in the Northern and North East states to sensitise their people towards placing high premium on creative Western education that will liberate their minds and douse radical religious ideology that constitutes insecurity in the country, Professor Nwaeke advised Government and school Management to be proactive in creating and sustaining a peaceful and threat-free school environment, especially as insecurity constitutes a serious threat to the academic environment and hinders academic activities.
He called for funding and equipping of schools with modern security technological gadgets like CCTV at strategic locations to monitor movements of persons for possible detection of criminal activities in schools.
The inaugural lecturer also called for the rustication of all identified cultists from the schools by school Management with linkages established with other learning institutions to prevent them from gaining re-admission into schools, unless after rehabilitation process in prison or correctional centres after prosecution by the law enforcement agencies.
In his remarks, the Acting Vice Chancellor of IAUE, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, commended the 52nd inaugural Lecturer for what he termed “five star presentation” and noted the need to tackle some of the challenges highlighted in the lecture to make the educational system stronger and better.