By Gift Samuel, The Sight News
Abuja-Nigerian youth with the passion to see an end to corruption, a menace which has eaten deep into the system, over the weekend converged at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja for the Make a Difference Against Corruption Today (MadACT) concert.
Musicians and Comedians who are also known as “Influencers” such as I Go Dye, Chidinma, Style Plus, Harrysong, Ghana Must Go, Reecardo Banks, Honeybell and several other up coming arts were on ground to use their arts to speak and spread the word against corruption.
The MadACT movement is a social movement for change, implemented by Youth Alive Foundation(YAF) and partners under their strengthening Youth Participation Against Corruption (YPAC) project with support from UK Aid.
Y-PAC on its own seeks to engage youth to become active advocates in the fight against corruption by mobilizing them nationally through capacity building, social marketing/ behavior change communication and civic engagement activities
Speaking to The Sight News at the show, the Executive Director, Youth Alive Foundation, Dr. Uduak Okon reiterated that, “MadACT is out to make a difference against corruption by resisting it, not practicing it and then reaching out to ensure, watch and speak out against corruption and to say, enough is enough, we are taking back our country”.
She expressed belief that the fight against corruption can be won, stressing the need to start making people believe as Nigerians don’t believe that they can win this fight.
“YAF is working with its partners to begin to counter that belief because until you believe you will not take action. We are sending out messages to people to believe again that it is possible and when we succeed and people believe, they can start taking actions.
“To the Nigerian youth, its time to stand up, rise up, wake up from slumber and fight for our nation and we cannot do that without the youth. We need the youth to arise and work for a better Nigeria, they inherit this country. When they are asleep, we have a broken system because corruption destroys growth, it takes lives. Because of it there are no jobs, because of it Nigeria went into a recession. It affects everyone” she ended.
Speaking passionately to the Youth, the popular comedian, I Go Dye called on the Nigeria youth to use the social media which is a powerful tool to kick against bad leaders and to use their voices to secure the future of their children and the next generation.
He tasked the youth to rise up, stressing that; “We are alive to use our voices for change. We need to wake up, use our mobile gadgets to change the situation of things. Nigeria has important issues that we need to tackle . We all have voices to speak for this country. If the youth can put their heads together to make positive change, Nigeria will be the best country in the world”.
Also Speaking, a partner of the MadACT movement, Mr. Ken Henshaw explained that MadACT simply integrates the contemporary with the real and it is bringing together the concept of fighting corruption and fun, as well as bringing youth, politics and good governance in one concert, one dream one future, eliminate corruption, grow the country.
According to him, “Being an activist is not a difficult thing, you can be an activist and be a normal person and this is the idea which those presiding over our affairs have sold that activists are somewhat skewed upstairs. We are defeating that with MadACT. That fantastic brilliant comedians, musicians and vocalists can also be good in their act and at the same time, wishing for a good country.
“When you fight corruption and eliminate what sucks our income and opportunities, employment will come. This movement should be considered by the youth as the last opportunity to fight an impediment that stopped them from being themselves and realising their full potential. Let’s eliminate corruption and all other things will be added unto us” he added.
Also speaking to The Sight News Reporter a Musician by the name, HoneyBell noted that fighting corruption is a responsibility that should be undertaken by everyone and not only the leaders as the country cannot plant corruption and reap something else.
“We are the government and we have to fight corruption by not doing what we are not supposed to do. Youth its time to wake up and understand that if we destroy our country, we have no other place to call a country”she said.
According to the Youth Alive Foundation, YAF, “we are at the point in Nigeria now, where a movement is needed to tackle the calamity and the quagmire of corruption which we are currently engulfed in. The corruption situation is demanding that instead of just complaining about these things, instead of just Protesting about these things, we begin to take action and hope for another way of living”.
