Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has partnered with the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Consult Ltd., to unveil a Diploma Certificate in Anti Corruption, Good Governance and Illicit Financial Flows.
The unveiling of the programme, which formed part of activities to mark 20 years of HEDA’s crusade against anti corruption, illicit financial flows, good governance and care for the environment, held on Thursday evening at UNILAG Senate Lounge in Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of HEDA Resource Centre, Sulaimon Arigbabu expressed his excitement about unveiling of the Diploma.
“It is one of the flagship projects and it’s a culmination of a lot of things in the 20 to 23 years of our being incorporated,” Arigbabu said.
He noted that HEDA has done a lot in the area of building public consciousness.
“We have called out a lot of public officers on the issues of corruption and impunity and as a matter of fact we have an organization that has been helping Nigerians to change the culture of our reportage of corrupt incidences when they forget about it.
“This is what makes public officers to think that they can steal huge sums of money and after a while Nigerians will forget it.
“They know that after the first noise, everything will die down but since we introduced our compendium of high profile corruption cases in Nigeria and other publications of HEDA, people have come to know that there are some people watching.
“What that has done is to help keep focus to remind the people and the public that these issues remain unresolved and also to remind the public that we don’t go into slumber.
“So what we are doing with the introduction of this course is to say that we now need more capacities in the media, anti corruption agencies and in higher institutions that are teaching ethics and to build capacities among Civil Society Organizations, among companies, banks, etc,” Arigbabu said.
He stressed that the course is targeted at building capacities, not just to raise awareness, but to identify those things that are playing against the books.
The executive secretary said that the course, which is open to everyone from all walks of life is designed in such a manner that people from far and near can participate in it.
“It has an hybrid module that allows for virtual and in classroom participation,” Arigbabu said.
He added that the course would have a lot of international instruments and products that would make it have an international appeal.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of UNILAG Consult, Ltd. Prof. Usman Mohammed congratulated HEDA on its 20th anniversary.
Mohammed expressed delight in the partnership with HEDA, adding that the Diploma programme would build the capacity of Nigerians along the subject matter.
For the Chairman Board of Trustees of HEDA, Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa, the Diploma programme would build the capacity and knowledge of its subscribers in Anti Corruption, Good Governance and illicit flows.
Atsenuwa said that the 20 years of HEA had been tough, but with diligence, the anti corruption group is forging on.
She noted that alot of achievements have been made; however, the issues of corruption continue to take various dimensions.
In his goodwill message, the Lagos Zonal Commander of EFCC, Mr Michael Wetkas, expressed gratitude to HEDA for its consistency and diligence in its anti corruption crusade.
He praised HEDA for its consistency in the last 20 years.
