By Ochiaka Ugwu
MacArthur Foundation has hailed Signature TV for unveiling corruption Tori season 2, a TV program meant to water down anti-graft fight to the grassroots.
Speaking during the unveiling ceremony Wednesday, Director of Africa Office of MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Kole Shettima who commended Signature Television for unveiling Corruption Tori, an anti-corruption Television programme using local Nigerian languages in amplifying the anti-corruption war in Nigeria said Corruption Tori is a unique programme that visualizes the fight against corruption in indigenous Nigerian languages.
Dr. Shettima said the programme was unique as it brings the impact of corruption to people at the grassroots in languages they understand and could connect with.
He said the partnership between the Foundation and Signature TV was born out of the need to fill a vacuum and find a more effective way of communicating the anti-corruption message to Nigerians at the grassroots.
Also speaking, Minister of State for Labour &Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN) while delivering goodwill message virtually thanked MacArthur for aiding Africa in entrenching accountability and transparency.
Keyamo who said that corruption has gone deep into the fabric of the society stressed the need to give it a bloody nose by dealing with it squarely.
While noting the need to take the awareness to the locals in the language they understand better, Keyamo maintained that every Nigerian has a role to play in anti-graft war.
Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye who was represented by Mr. Hassan Salihu thanked Signature TV for the initiative saying that bringing anti-graft campaign to the grassroots will surely change the narratives.
Chief Executive of Signature TV, Mr. Vinmartin Obiora Ilo who went down memory lane informed that their relationship with MacArthur Foundation started in 2018 when they realized that the anti-corruption message no matter how loud, was not getting to the ordinary-not-so-educated Nigerians at the grassroots.
Ilo said that there was a clear disconnect between the horrible cases of corruption and the appreciation of most Nigerians on the magnitude and impact of the hydra-headed monster which made them to send a proposal to MacArthur that gave birth to the project.
