HOW MY PROJECTS WERE FRUSTRATED FOR FAILURE TO OFFER BRIBE, IGWE, NGO BOSS

By NBF News


•Igwe

Kate Igwe is the brain behind Right Value International Organization (RVIO), it is a youth-based NGO with a mission to inculcate the fear of God in youths, promote moral uprightness, and patriotism.

According to her, RVIO was established in 2002, but was officially incorporated in 2008. The organization came into operation as a body of like minded people, who are burdened by the loss of right values in the society.

In chat with Daily Sun , Igwe X-rays the lost values of the society and the efforts of her NGO to bring back these values. She also talked about how most of her projects are being frustrated because she refuses to offer bribe.

Excerpts:
What influenced your setting up an NGO, was it as a result of personal experience?

Yes, it was as a result of personal experience and a strong passion to save our youths from misplaced moral values, assist develop respectable citizens who will in the near future pilot the affairs of this great country. It was also more of a divine revelation. My heart bleeds at the high rate of lost values in our country. Today, our society celebrates conducts that ought to be frowned at. Nudity is celebrated while decency is scorned, success is bought in cash or kind rather than through hard work. People boast of their evil conducts as if the reign of the anti Christ has already begun.

Our youths imitate and are misled by these terrible trends.

A young girl who decides to remain a virgin until she marries will be castigated because she has chosen to keep herself. She will as a result feel odd, ashamed, frustrated and not wanted to the extent that she would rather prefer to pretend that she was not and try to do away with it. Many young girls in our country today are been denied admission in our Universities. This is not because of low scores but for the singular reason that they have refused to sleep with those in-charge of admission.

I have had a lot of my projects frustrated because I refused to offer bribe because it is morally wrong to give bribe. To them, my message contradicts the order of the day. These people do these things because their right value system has been eroded.

What has your NGO done since its establishment?
The RVIO though an NGO, is different from what we have in the society. Our NGO is a social religious organization. The Organization focuses on youths, their development and empowerment because they are our future leaders. They are the bedrock of the society, and good upbringing is the best gift any child can receive. The organization is founded upon the divine axiom that 'the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom', and our mission is to promote Godliness, moral uprightness, and patriotism in the society.

With the help of people who share in my vision, I have in the past six years been reaching out to these young ones; sensitizing, admonishing and guiding them on issues relating to Godliness, moral uprightness, and how to develop morally and otherwise. In some schools, we meet with the students weekly, bi-weekly, monthly or termly. A good number of schools in Lagos have benefitted from our Schools Outreach.

It is my vision to reach out to every youth in Nigeria and beyond. I am particulary burderned by the havoc that corruption is doing to our society. In the light of this, we have also been creating strong awareness and aversion for corruption. It is my dream that with adequate orientation, re-orientation and sensitization our youths will be well informed on the destructive effects of corruption and begin to dread it like HIV/AIDS because corruption is devastating Nigeria more than HIV/AIDS does.

HIV/AIDS has a way of punishing or destroying the promiscious, ignorant and careless ones but corruption punishes or destroys even the already deprived citizens while the perpetrators continue to enjoy their illegal acquisition.

Do you know that most NGOs are used as money making ventures?

Yes. our NGO is a calling, and a ministry, it is not an occupation. It is not a commercial venture and that is why it is called a non-profit oriented organization. It is a charitable organization so if you are not called, and you go into it, you will definitely have a mind of extorting money. I believe time will actually tell which NGO is actually out to help and not to make money.

How would you convince the society that your NGO is not a money making venture?

It is not left for me to to convince the society. Our NGO is not a venture where we pocket money that is meant for the needy. My belief is that what I do out there will definitely speak for me.

What has been the source of your income in running the NGO?

My source of accomplishment is God, and people who believe in the vision. The challenges generally is fund, but we are not intimidated by that. Money can never be a problem to a vision, but the problem is, if the is the vision correct? Is there passion to drive the vision? Though money helps, its shortage has not deterred us.

What is your take on the state of our youths today?

There is high increase in social, political and economic problems in Nigeria occasioned by lack of fear of God, moral bankruptancy, sexual immorality, etc which have done terrible harm to our youths today. These prevailing social, political and economic problems have caused these young ones to seek and pursue wrong values. They have been lured into violence, godlessness, occultism, sexual immorality, alcoholism, early pregnancy, abortion, prostitution, use of contraceptives, drug abuse and addiction, smoking, pornography, examination malpractices, robbery of different sorts, thuggery, disrespectfulness, laziness, and idleness.

The family which hitherto had been basic unit where the right virtues are acquired has now being reduced to a mere structure due to the wild craze for survival. The father and the mother leave the house in the early morning while the children are in bed only to return at night with the children also in bed. How these children spend their time (outside school) is better witnessed than imagined. We seek to bridge this gap in child upbringing.

It is in the light of the foregoing that Right Value International Organization calls on the Federal, States and Local Governments, schools, religious bodies, parents, concerned citizens and organizations (National and International) to join hands with us to inculcate the fear of God in youths, promote moral uprightness, patriotism, diligence which will enable them develop well and become respectable and successful citizens.

I believe that there is a great need to instil and encourage our youths to cultivate a spirit for service (selfless attitude). To de-emphasis our present day perversed norm 'that nothing goes for nothing' even when it is one's duty to render such service. It is high time we taught our youths how to serve God and Nigeria through good deeds. If we can inculcate in them early in life that God rewards every good deed even when the immediate recipient does not, I believe that corruption will be highly reduced.

I am also of the opinion that what we need most to build our nation is patriotism. It takes a patriotic heart to take Nigeria to the next level, it takes a patriotic heart not to embezzle public funds and to sabortage any government because of tribal, religious, party or ideological differences. With the help of God, we will be able to bring our future leaders to know and uphold the fact that the interest of Nigeria supersedes tribal, religious and individual interests.

How challenging has it been?
It has been very challenging. A lot of people pay lip service to religion. We tend to love and believe in God while in the church/mosque but outside, it is a different ball game. Experience has shown that most atrocities committed in Nigeria are done by Christains and Muslims who frequently call on the name of God. This is because these people lack the fear of God.

They have lost or never had good moral values. It has never occurred to them that they owe Nigeria an obligation. Their singing of the National anthem and recitation of the National Pledge are mere formality; that is if they can sing and/or recite them. It has never occurred to a lot of Nigerians especially those in leadership positions that one day we will stand before the Almighty to give account of our stewardship.

Non availality of funds has greatly frustrated our programmes. We are yet to get support from corporate bodies and well meaning Nigerians. I therefore, appeal to them to join hands with us to inculate the fear of God; promote moral uprightness, patriotism and diligence in our youths. Honestly, part of the resouces being committed to organising fashion shows, beauty peagents, dancing/entertainment shows, realty shows, HIV/AIDS e.tc. can be committed to projects that promote Godly and moral values in our youths. If the above is done, organisations and individuals will lose less money to fraudsters and armed robbers and there will be less prostitutes, alcholics, drug addicts, cultists, social miscreants, thugs e.t.c. in our society. This as a matter of fact will yield better dividend in future for our society.

What is your last word to government and stakeholders?

We are calling on all stake holders in the upbringing of the Nigerian youths to wake up to their responsibilies. Today's youths and their value system is a function of what the society has bequeated to them. Parents in as much as they have to put food on the table and pay for their children's education should not relegate the upbringing of their children to house helps and nannies. There is a gap in the life of every child that only the parents can fill.

Moral instructions and fellowships should be integral part of our Schools' curriculum. In addition, anti-corruption subjects should be introduced and made compulsory at all levels. In all, godless, morally bankrupt, unpatriotic and lazy people should be shunned like plague in the society while programmes and adverts that promote such should be proscribed from our media.

It is in the light of the foregoing that Right Value International Organization joins hands with the Federal, the state and the local governments, schools, religious bodies, parents, concerned citizens and organizations (National and International) inculcate the fear of God in youths.

Who is Kate Igwe?
I hail from Nempi in the Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. I am a graduate of Abia State University, Uturu and the University of Ibadan where I obtained Bachelor of Arts and Education degree in English Language (BA.ED, Second Class Upper Division) and Master of Science degree in Political Science specialising in International Relations respectively. I am married with two children.I am the co-ordinator of Right Value International (RVIO) formally known as True Foundation International, a Socio-Religious group, non governmental,non profit oriented Organization.