..Urges Stakeholders to Promote Responsibility and Accountability

The Committed Advocates of Integrity Initiative (CADII) has called on civil society organizations (CSOs), government agencies, media, and the public to uphold ethical standards in advocacy.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, CADII Executive Director, Comrade Charles Agubor, emphasized the importance of preserving the sanctity of civil society advocacy by promoting transparency, responsibility, and accountability. He criticized reckless allegations by some organizations, particularly citing the actions of Trustfield Empowerment Initiative (TEI), which have eroded public trust and distracted government agencies from their critical mandates.

Agubor highlighted the baseless accusations TEI recently made against five federal agencies, the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), the Comptroller-General of the Federal Fire Service, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). He explained that these allegations of contract abuse, tax evasion, and financial mismanagement were made without evidence, forcing the agencies to divert resources to defend their integrity rather than focus on their mandates. “Civil society must remain a beacon of hope, not a tool for character assassination or political manipulation,” Agubor stated.

Valentine Opaoluwa, a member of CADII, reiterated the need for adherence to ethical standards, emphasizing that CSOs must ground their advocacy in facts and objectivity. He urged stakeholders to expose unethical practices within the sector and ensure that CSOs operate responsibly to maintain public trust. “The credibility of civil society depends on our ability to act with integrity and accountability,” Opaoluwa added.

To address these concerns, CADII outlined measures to combat reckless advocacy, including legal actions against violators, public exposure of unethical groups, and collaboration with regulators to review operations. Agubor stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together in restoring the integrity of civil society advocacy and enabling public institutions to perform their duties without unwarranted interference.

Concluding the conference, CADII reaffirmed its commitment to promoting ethical advocacy and strengthening democracy. “Together, we can restore trust, uphold justice, and ensure civil society remains a force for positive change,” Agubor said.