The Program Officer, Negedu, Ojonugwa, welcomed participant to the inaugural meeting of the Christian Women Against Corruption. She stated that the Christian Women Against Corruption is part of the activities in implementing the Shun Corruption project and that the meeting was organised to mobilize and empower Christian Women to advocate and campaign against corruption from a Christian perspective with members drawn across all board from different churches. She further stated that tackling corruption is not only the job of business Leaders and politicians but also needs individual action. As element of corruptions begins with the ordinary man/woman who refuses to pay bill, tamper with electronic meter, breaching trust and not obeying the rules, among others.
She enumerated the role of the Christian Women against corruption as follows:
- Attend a bi – monthly meeting
- Actively sensitize and mobilize their constituencies against corruption
- Participate in an annual Christian summit on anti – corruption
- Participate in the production of advocacy briefs, factsheet, newsletter, cost of corruption models to be utilized in advocacy
- To organize rally in their respective churches, this include the use of drama, song and poems.
- Distribute our Social and Behavior Change Communication(SBCC) materials in their churches
- Mobilize other women to register for personal voter cards.
- Participate in protest marches to mark International Day Against Corruption or Africa Anti – Corruption Day.
BRIEF SESSEION ON CHRISTIAN AND CORRUPTION
The session was facilitated by Mr Tive Denedo and he analyzed the experience of corruption in developed and developing countries. He led the participants further on the need to clearly define corruption, which is widely referred to as the “Misuse of public office for private gain”. Participants gave different view of what constitute corruption to them; raging from Corruption in the home, church, business, hospital, government etc. It was agreed that the secular definition of corruption should not be used for advocacy and campaign from the Pentecostal Christian perspective. Participant held the opinion that a definition derived from the spiritual perspective will be more apt as it is applicable to all spheres of Christian life/existence. James 4: 17 and Ephesian 5: 11 was adopted as a more apt definition of corruption for the Pentecostal Christian.