Modupe Gbadeyanka
There is no doubt that one of the many Nigerians making efforts to tackle corruption in the country is Mr Akin Fadeyi. One would not easily forget how he launched a popular campaign called Corruption Not in My Country few years ago to battle the menace, which has bedevilled the nation for several years.
This time, Mr Fadeyi, through his Akin Fadeyi Foundation, is planning to launch a mobile application on Thursday, October 10, 2019 at the ShehuYar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
The mobile app, FLAG’IT, which would also work on the web, was designed to empower Nigerians report corruption. The Report-Corruption-App was funded by the John.D and Catharine. T. MacArthur Foundation to further promote anti-corruption fight in Nigeria by working with public institutions to open us their processes for transparency, accountability and excellent service delivery.
How it works
With FLAG’IT App, users would be able to report and document their experiences around corruption and engage with government officials on issues bordering service delivery and corrupt practices across the country. The App also has a feature for documenting positive stories about credible and outstanding public officers.
Speakers to expect at the Launch
Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, will deliver the Keynote Address at the launch, while the Publisher of PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi Corp Marshal of Federal Roads Safety Corps, Dr. Kole Shettima, Co-Director on Nigeria and Africa Director, MacAuthur Foundation, Oliver Stolpe, Country Representative, United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime and Simon Kolawole, Founder of The Cable Online Newspaper are also billed to speak at the event.
What to Expect at Launch
On the inherent benefits of institutional collaborations in fighting corruption, a panel of discussants shall also rub minds in a technical session with the FRSC officials. They are, Ajuri Ngelale, Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Ramatu Umar Bako, Head of Public Engagement, OXFAM, Ademola Adigun, TEAM lead at Facility for Oil Sector Transformation (FOSTER), Chido Onumah, PhD, Executive Director, AFRICMIL, and Auwal Rafsanjani, Executive Director, CISLAC and Board Chair, Transparency International, Nigeria.
Last September, the Akin Fadeyi Foundation announced a strategic collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps on the Report-Corruption-App and expressed strong confidence that the birthing of this App is the beginning of a reawakening of the consciousness of Nigerian citizens to combat corruption.
Akin Fadeyi Foundation is one of the Grantees in MacAuthur Foundation’s BET-ON-NIGERIA Project and has been in the vanguard of deploying Drama parodies to campaign against corruption in Nigeria.
Working with the cream of Nigerian thespians, the Drama project titled Corruption Not In My Country was conceptualized to trigger a soul search and self re-evaluation as part of the processes of nation building.
Founder’s Comment
In announcing this forthcoming unveiling of the App, Founder and Executive Director, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, Mr. Akin Fadeyi said, “We are trying to explore a technology-driven approach and empower citizens’ to report corruption. Through this, we hope to stimulate accountability and inspire confidence in our public institutions.
“The FLAG’IT App is a valuable tool in our ambitious quest for a corrupt-free public service. We, therefore, implore Nigerians to download FLAG’IT after the launching from October 10 and work with us in demanding for transparent and accountable institutions in our anti-corruption fight”.
