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Corruption: PRIMORG Engages 10 Million Nigerians In Two Years

Published

4 years ago

May 19, 2021

Joel Ajayi

In its contribution towards the fight against corruption in Nigeria, the Progressive Impact Organization for Community Development PRIMORG, a non-governmental organization, through its rubout weekly town hall radio program across the geo-political zones in the country, have sensitized over 10millions Nigerians with its awareness campaign and exposing correction act, within two years of its existence.

This was made known on Tuesday, in Abuja, when the non-profit organization unveiled a two-year report, having successfully completed an anti-corruption and accountability project with support from MacArthur Foundation.

The PRIMORG, a registered non-governmental and non-profit organization in Nigeria, was established with a mandate to promote accountability, popular participation and inclusiveness in governance with the overall objective to foster good governance.

The project is titled: “Strengthening Anti-Corruption and Accountability by Amplifying Corruption Related Investigative Reports On the Radio and Through Social Media’,under which anti-corruption programs on radio, ‘Public Conscience on radio and Radio Town Hall Meetings’ was carved out.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Okhiria Agbonsuremi said, the success of our efforts was largely due to our conscious efforts to forge partnership, collaborations, and networking with many organizations as encouraged by the MacArthur foundation.

He applauded the effort of partnership; the media houses radio television and civil society group saying their collaboration have immensely contributed to the of PRIMORG.

According to him, The Collaboration is seen by PRIMORG as one of the pullers on which the ‘On Nigeria’ project of the Foundation rest.

“In the last 2 years, PRIMORG majorly partnered International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), The Cable Foundation (TCF), Premium Times Center for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), Daily Trust Foundation, Accountability Lab Nigeria, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Projects (SERAP).

“Others are African Center for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), Human and Environmental Development Agency (HEDA) Resource Center and Connected Development (CODE)

“One of the partnerships which gave us mileage was that with the international center for investigative reporting ICIR. In the course of our collaboration, we went beyond the amplification of reports to information exchanges for stories to be jointly investigated and further amplified.

While Highlighting the PRIMORG Achievement in the last two year the Executive Director Agbonsuremi revealed: “PRIMORG’s amplification of fake honey story led to the dismissal of an official of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Reduced corruption in electricity metering scheme in Pegi community in Abuja with partnership with Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

“It was this passionate partnership that resulted in our story of change in Pegi Community, in Abuja, with the reprieve for hitherto exploited electricity consumers and the return of the contractor to the road construction that was abandoned for over 10 years.

“Not only that the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, though a private enterprise seized the opportunity of the partnership we offered to drive home its corporate stand to remove corruption in its distribution of pre-paid meters to its customers.

“More so, through radio town hall meetings, the project celebrated Nigerians who on a daily basis are standing tall on integrity in their various place of work, as well as took campaign against corruption to the streets sensitizing citizens in the last two years.”

Other achievements include; “Nigeria law school-in response to the amplified report by PRIMORG on a report of fraud in the Nigerian law school Abuja, the school sent a press release of their responses to the auditor general’s queries on the same fraud accusations to PRIMORG.

“Joint Admissions Matriculation Board: following our discussion during a radio town hall meeting where the corruption in the educational system in Nigeria was discussed in the year 2020, it was reported on the 9th of February, 2021, that the joint admission matriculation board (JAMB) raised an alarm on the level of malpractice within the JAMB examination process and also mentioned what was needed to help prosecute defaulters within the system.

“After series of amplification of the investigative report by the cable on how for 25,000, travelers can get fake Covid-19 test results from government officials in Lagos and Abuja Airports, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on the 6th of February, 2021, sealed a clinic which was suspected for issuing fake Covid-19 certificates to travellers and many more.”

Executive Director Agbonsuremi, equally underlined some of these challenges which include: Poor access to information from Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as the most worrisome which is the little or no action from the government when investigative corruption reports are published by media houses.

In his welcome address, the Chairman Governing Councils of PRIMORG, Prof. Chidi Anslem OdinKalu said fighting corruption doesn’t belong to Buhari, EFCC, ICPC and other anti-corruption agencies, saying it belongs to all of us, and for us to do that there, is a need to build a better constituency in Nigeria to fight the monster called corruption.

While unveiling the publication titled: Tackling Corruption on Air and Online” the Head of Mass Communication Department at the Baze University in Abuja Prof Abiodun Adeniyi said since 1960 the percentage of corruption increases and there is a need for us to reduce the percentage

He said that the publication will go a long way in helping create more awareness to the general public that will bring about a reduction in the percentage of corruption and another wicked habit in the country.

Also, in his report, the PRIMORG Media & Communication Officer Chidozie Ogbonnaya said the project which took off in April 2019 and ended in March 2021, made a far-reaching impact as citizens and government’s attention were continuously drawn to reported corruption stories in Nigeria.

According to the report, the programs were aired in the 5 geo-political zones of Nigeria; 8 radio stations across the nation were used to syndicate the program weekly with over 10 million people reached; at least 307, 409 people were engaged on social media; 416 Public Conscience on Radio syndications; 26 Radio Town Hall meetings; 2 Community Town Hall meetings; 36 Vox pops (public opinion); and over 1,090 feedbacks from listeners.

However, different stakeholders who contributed during the commended PRIMORG and called on government at all level to be serious on the fight against corruption saying government should back its words with action.

While some speakers appealed to the MacArthur Foundation to continue with the project saying that with their effort corruption and some of inhuman act in Nigeria will be the thing of the past.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

3 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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