ICPC Sets Up Anti-Corruption Clubs In 5 Schools

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Thursday inaugurated its National Schools Integrity Programme (NSIP) and Students’ Anti-Corruption Clubs (SACs) in Koso Community Grammar School, Iseyin, and four other secondary schools, timing the exercise to coincide with Koso’s Golden Jubilee celebration.

The dual event drew government officials, traditional rulers, teachers, alumni and students, with goodwill messages centred on character development, integrity, responsible citizenship and anti-corruption awareness.

In a video message, the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, congratulated Koso Community Grammar School on 50 years of service, describing the milestone as an opportunity to celebrate not just its history, but also the values it had instilled in generations of students.

While the Commission is widely known for its investigative, preventive and enforcement functions, he said, tackling corruption also requires shaping the values, attitudes and choices that influence individual behaviour.

He said the NSIP was designed to give young Nigerians “the values, knowledge and courage to recognise, reject and resist corrupt practices,” noting that corruption extends beyond the misuse of public funds to include dishonesty, examination malpractice, bribery, cheating, deception and abuse of trust.

With the clubs now inaugurated across the five schools, members will take part in continuous value-based activities and can progress into Anti-Corruption Vanguards at the tertiary level and later into Anti-Corruption Community Development Service (CDS) groups in partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The Chairman said the goal was not to frighten children with tales of corruption, but to prepare them to make responsible choices, urging students to reject dishonest shortcuts because, in his words, “a certificate obtained through dishonesty cannot build a successful nation.”

Koso’s selection for the inauguration also tied into the ICPC’s MAMMILL — My Alma Mater, My Integrity Legacy — initiative, as the school is the alma mater of the Commission’s Director of Public Education, Mr. Demola Bakare, FSI.

Bakare told the students that he once sat in the same classrooms and regarded the school as proof that the classroom could be a starting point for national service.

He urged the students to pursue their ambitions diligently, avoid examination malpractice and cheating, and recognise that sound character must accompany academic achievement.

He also encouraged them to remain focused on their dreams while resisting shortcuts and other practices that could undermine their future.

In his welcome address, the President of the Alumni Association, Chief Taofeeq Adegboyega Adeyoke, FCA, thanked the Oyo State Government, traditional institution, teachers and alumni for their support.

He noted that the school, founded in 1976, had produced graduates across public service, the military, industry and academia, and appealed for continued support for the development of the institution.

The Principal, Mr. Raheem Sule Ademola, commended the Alumni Association for its past contributions and appealed for further support towards perimeter fencing, construction of an auditorium and provision of science laboratory equipment.

He also urged the students to remain focused on their studies, pursue academic excellence and uphold the good reputation of the school.

The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to preventive anti-corruption education through the NSIP, SACs and MAMMILL, while congratulating Koso Community Grammar School on its Golden Jubilee.

The Commission also called for sustained collaboration among schools, families, alumni, government institutions and communities in nurturing a generation of young Nigerians committed to integrity, accountability and responsible citizenship.