Ethiopia Federal Anti-corruption Commission (EFAC) has conducted a week-long training for Arba Minch University’s graduating students to create awareness against corruption in the society from 24th to 29th March, 2014.

The training began on 24th March, at Students’ Cafeteria, Main Campus. It was held at Chamo on 25th March and on the subsequent days at Abaya, Nechsar and Kulfo campuses.

The objective of the training was to create awareness against corruption amongst the graduating students who would later man various government offices. They have been taken as the prime target because the collected data shows that the highest crimes committed by people were found to be under the age group of 21 to 30.

Ethiopian government has started giving this training since last two years to restore accountability and inculcate sense of honesty in the government employees. AMU facilitated the required logistics for the training, Mr Mahe Bodda said.

Education & Communication Directorate Expert, Mr Hussein Hanza and Prosecutor and Investigation Directorate’s Expert, Mr Bereket Bezabeh were the resource persons for the training.

The students were informed the real meaning of corruption, its causes and negative impact it has on the socio-economic and political system of the nation and how to prevent it.

The students being the most vulnerable section and potential change agent, they were expected to know the bureaucratic system of the government, the rules and regulation, which if get violated invite harsh punishment.

They were also apprised about the various types of corruption crimes and quantum of punishment associated with it. The training aims to bring in attitudinal change in this powerful section of the society; which will help create good law-abiding citizen. It will develop a apt mindset that will discourage them to infringe rules and regulations.

Anti-Corruption Directorate Director, Mr Mahe Bodda, said, ‘‘This training is sort of preventive medicine or vaccination; it will discourage them to have high aspiration and greed to earn staggering amount of money through short-cut and unscrupulous ways.’’

When asked whether government is contemplating to create more jobs for the youth, he opined that corruption is not need-driven; most corrupt individuals are higher officials who get high salary. So there is likelihood that this sort of training would also be given to the top-ranking officials.

By Philips Joseph