Group identifies Integrity as key to effective health system in Nigeria

The Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Mr Friday Odeh, has identified integrity and maintenance of value system in work place as key to an effective health system in the country.
Mr Odeh made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to Odeh, “the lack of integrity and value system is a sad situation in Nigeria in most sectors, Health, Education, security, and justice but health sector is more critical because it concerns life.
“We have the project called ‘Integrity Icon Project’, which is part of the integrity innovation lab, I was reading the story of one of the nominees for the Integrity Icon award.
“This person works in a health sector, where they issue death certificates to people on behalf of their bereaved.
“But funny enough, some people do come there also to claim fake death certificates for their parents or loved ones who are alive in other to claim financial benefits from their offices.
“But she was able to withstand the temptation by rejecting their offers in order to maintain her integrity.
“These are some of the things we can avoid as a country when we hire people of integrity which will enable Nigeria reduce corruption.
“We have doctors and nurses who are well trained but due to corruption, right things are not practiced because the value system has been eroded.”
He called for effective system to improve the health sector, saying that there have been lack of checks and balances in most health facilities.
“We live in a society where nobody does checks and balances due to corruption, if someone is prosecuted others will learn to do the right thing.
“Our system is very tough, if one does the right thing, people around will become his enemy and try to bring him down.
“What we do in Accountability Lab is to find people of integrity in their work places.
“We celebrate and support such persons in order to encourage others,” he said.
Odeh noted that infant mortality rate would reduce when men and women of integrity and good conscience are placed to handle all aspect of the health sector.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, on this year’s Integrity Lab programme, said that the growth and development of any nation are tied to the quality of their work force.