Liberate yourselves from the stronghold of poverty, ActionAid tells Nigerians

ActionAid Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation, says corruption is fuelling the high rate of unemployment and poverty in the country.

Speaking on Monday at a stakeholders dialogue in Enugu, Ene Obi, country director of the organisation, said government’s efforts to curb corruption is not enough to subdue “the evil”.

She urged citizens to participate in efforts to rid the country of corruption in order to liberate themselves from the strongholds of poverty.

“You may ask, why is it important to empower the Nigerian citizens to effectively fight against corruption. You may be wondering why the burden of eradicating corruption is not mounted on the government and our public officials,” she said.

“You may even – and rightly too – say the government should bear the burden because corruption began with the government institutions and the government are better positioned to end it.

“The simple answer is in the social cost of corruption and how it has fuelled unemployment and poverty.

“For us in ActionAid Nigeria, we believe that a government that can manage its resources effectively can eradicate poverty or reduce it to the barest minimum. ActionAid Nigeria has implemented projects in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

“We have seen the reality of poverty at the grassroot and are without any doubt that corruption being one of the major causes of these deprivations, when dealt with decisively, will liberate many Nigerians from the strongholds of poverty.”