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Corruption: PRIMORG Engages 10 Million Nigerians In Two Years

Published

5 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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Featured

CELEBRATING A CENTURY-OLD CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR TRAJECTORY IN NIGERIA

Published

5 days ago

December 1, 2025

The Gleamer

This week, millions of Nigerians and others across the globe will join the Ministry of Aviation and Space Development under the irrepressible leadership of the Honourable Minister, Festus Keyamo(SAN),and all the notable Aviation sector stakeholders in and outside the country,in celebrating a century of Nigeria’s civil aviation history.

There is no doubt that under the present leadership of the Honourable Minister and within the short spell of time in his stewardship,he has consciously and intentionally embarked on a “silent revolution” for the industry with very veritable and laudable landmarks that have consistently grown the industry.

Some of these spirited efforts for instance have consequently led to trust restoration amongst international lessors, financier,any global partners.Of note also is assidiously working for the full domestication and implementation of the “Cape Town Convention Agreement” ,which gives Airlines access to modern fleets of competitive rates as well as enforcement of IDERA(Irrevocable Deregulation and Export Request Authorization).

Having well applauded these vital contemporary initiatives,it will also be germane to cast our minds in retrospect by taking a peep into our history over several decades to recognise some of the notable forebears in the industry whose impressionabl efforts cannot be overlooked,as they took the impetuous initiatives of breaking the ice at the nascent stage.
It will aptly corroborate the truism which says that… ” a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step”.

The above is vividly captured from a tribute by the First Republic Minister of Aviation Chief Mbazulike Amaechi at the funeral of late Igwe of Oba,HRH Peter Ezenwa(MFR) in 2018.
It states inter alia…”One significant thing I will say many people didn’t know is that the first indigenous airline that was to run in Nigeria was known as “STANDARD AIRLINE”.It was founded in 1966 by a company formed by Igwe Peter Ezenwa from Oba,and had on board,John Nwankwu from Abagana,Edward Ebo from Ezinifitte,(all from Anambra state),John Anyaehie from Nkwerre in Imo state,and lastly my very self Mbazulike Amaechi.
The five of us later acquired two brand new aircrafts,and had four pilots,namely;Unachievable,John Emma Ngwu and Felix Offor,who was to be the General Manager of the airline.
But just about the time for the take-off the crisis of the military takeover erupted in the North as the planes were on their way for delivery to us.In fact the bank handling the transaction was to allow the planes to be flown from the USA,but the news of the war broke out in 1967,the insurance company cabled for the cancellation of the deal as they will not be able to cover the risk cost of aircrafts being flown into war zone.
So,we asked the manufacturers to take the two aircrafts back to their country and hold on for six months with the hope of that the war will end within the requested time frame,but the war didn’t end as thought.We consequently asked for refund and they deducted some money and refunded the balance which was deposited at the London branch of African Continental Bank(ACB).

When the government took over the operations of ACB,we still hoped for the refund but unfortunately were disappointed that the Federal government took over the whole money and we lost everything.”

Further in line with our historical perspective,it will also be pertinent some of the later years reformists in the likes of Engr Onyereri and Harold Demuren who advertently sponsored some far reaching regulations that eventually steered the industry towards greater autonomy with the passage of the 2005 Civil Aviation Act,which I was also a prime participant of in my capacity as an Aviation sub chair in then House of Representatives.

As we mark this great century milestone,and with the clear evidential pathway set out by the current managers of the industry under the indomitable leadership of Honourable Minister, I do not see the sky posing any limitations as they say,but rather availing new vistas of limitless growth opportunities.

CONGRATULATIONS.

Hon Chidi Nwogu
Former member House of Representatives & presently Governing Council member
,African Aviation and Aerospace University,Abuja.

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