{"id":3059,"date":"2021-03-14T20:32:20","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T20:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/integrityicon.org\/?p=3059"},"modified":"2021-03-14T20:32:20","modified_gmt":"2021-03-14T20:32:20","slug":"nation-building-integrity-development-nigeria-2018-icon-kehinde-aremu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/integrityicon.org\/es\/nation-building-integrity-development-nigeria-2018-icon-kehinde-aremu\/","title":{"rendered":"Nation-building, Integrity & Development – Nigeria 2018 Icon Kehinde Aremu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mr. Kehinde Aremu<\/span><\/a> was among Accountability Lab Nigeria’s Integrity Icon winners in 2018. Aremu is the Deputy Director of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a government organization designed to engage young graduates in nation-building and development. He also serves as the NYSC State Coordinator for Anambra state. Aremu’s ethos is simple. He believes integrity is doing the right thing whether you are being watched or not and doing what is right, whether there is a reward or not. Aremu has demonstrated integrity in his work by organizing NYSC staff records and mobilization processes into an online platform that includes safeguards against data manipulation. In doing so, he uncovered several inconsistencies, which he was then able to correct.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his position as State Coordinator, Aremu demonstrates integrity by refusing to accept bribes from officials who wish to extend their stay in public service and by corps members who have not completed their service. Part of the challenge to integrity in public service in Nigeria is the norm of corruption. Aremu was ostracized by his colleagues for maintaining his integrity by refusing to accept bribes. Aremu describes the challenge of being socially isolated by his co-workers for doing the right thing- which made them look bad and threatened their interests. As he moved up the ranks of civil service, however, he found officials with similar value systems who supported the honesty of his work based upon his previous actions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of Aremu’s nomination for Integrity Icon, he now feels that <\/span>he is an example to others and he has the responsibility to always act with integrity<\/span><\/a>. By displaying the award in his office, it helps to shape important discussions with his colleagues. He has also noticed that his colleagues and superiors trust and respect him more. He has been able to leverage this credibility in several ways:<\/span><\/p>\n