ACAON Inaugurates Trustees, Appoints Directors to Strengthen Anti-Corruption Drive

ACAON Inaugurates Trustees, Appoints Directors to Strengthen Anti-Corruption Drive

The Anti-Corruption Awareness Organization Nigeria (ACAON) has inaugurated new members of its Board of Trustees and appointed officers to various national and state positions, as the organisation seeks to strengthen its institutional structure and expand its anti-corruption advocacy.

The ceremony, held at the Federal Government Secretariat Building, Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State, brought together dignitaries from Nigeria and the diaspora for the inauguration, oath-taking and presentation of appointments and honours.

Among those inducted into the Board of Trustees were Scpn. Dr. Nnice Duzey, founder of Upland College of Education, Ifira Ipesi, Akoko; Prof. Kayode Joseph Sunday; Barr. Tesleem Toyosi Bello; Bode Caxinton Olawoye; and Foluso Adefemi.

Addressing the newly inaugurated trustees, ACAON Founder and Board Chairman, Scpn. Alhaji Prince Kola Adefemi, commended their contributions to the organisation and urged them to sustain their commitment to its survival and growth.

He said: “I appreciated the newly bot body for their effort to see that ACAON did not die all this years,” while appealing for continued support to take the organisation to greater heights.

The inauguration also produced appointments across the organisation’s national leadership, state directorates and regional coordination structures, reflecting ACAON’s intention to broaden its presence and operational reach.

Scpn. Dr. Rebecca Udeogalanya and Scpn. Muhammad Yinusa were appointed ACAON ambassadors, while Scpn. Barr. Leonard Asogwa emerged as director for the Federal Capital Territory. Scpn. Olalekan Ayanguna was appointed chief of staff, and Scpn. Olujide Adigun became personal assistant to the Board Chairman.

Other national appointments included Scpn. Hammed Shuaib as deputy national secretary and Scpn. Chief Olabode Dandy as national chairman. Scpn. Olaoye Onugbogbo was named chairman of the Leaders of Thought, while Scpn. Durojaiye Ajani became its assistant secretary.

At the regional level, Scpn. Chuks Nwachukwu was appointed South-East coordinator, while Scpn. Nice Akhimeh emerged as Rivers State director.

Scpn. Chris Egharevba was named Edo State director, while Scpn. Sunday Adesanya became national director of media and publicity. In Oyo State, Scpn. Pastor Kola Adepoju was appointed director, Scpn. Shakiru Yusuf secretary, Scpn. Iyiade Okewole assistant secretary, and Scpn. Madam Sekinat Bello deputy director.

Further appointments included Scpn. Dr. Aliyu Yusuf as Delta State director and Scpn. W. Hike as Imo State director. Alhaji Scpn. Amusa Olayiwola Adesanu was appointed national patron, while Alhaji Scpn. Moshood Adesanu became national adviser.

Scpn. Chief Osita Okeke was named South-East deputy coordinator, while Scpn. Ohamadike Eugene was appointed deputy director for Anambra State.

Beyond the appointments, the event provided an opportunity for the organisation’s leadership to recount ACAON’s historical development and explain its institutional evolution.

According to Adefemi, the organisation’s roots date to a committee known as the Anti-Corruption Committee, which he said was headed by the late Rt. Hon. Nnamdi Azikiwe in late 1948. He also cited the late Alhaji Prince Kadewolu Ajani Adeyemi and other prominent figures among those associated with its early history.

The chairman said the initiative was revived in 1969 under the name Anti-Bribery Corruption and Crimes Council of Nigeria (ABC&CC), before being renamed the National Anti-Corruption Organisation Nigeria (NACO).

He further stated that Prince Kadewolu Ajani Adeyemi became the organisation’s founder and first national chairman in 1996, with the late Justice G. O. S. Sowemimo serving as its first national patron.

However, Adefemi said the organisation’s formal recognition by the Federal Government remained unresolved until after Prince Kadewolu’s death in 2000, when the current leadership revived the initiative under the name Anti-Corruption Awareness Organization Nigeria.

According to the chairman, ACAON obtained approval through the Corporate Affairs Department in 2006.

The latest appointments mark another organisational milestone, although the effectiveness of the expanded leadership will ultimately depend on its ability to translate its anti-corruption mandate into sustained public education, accountability advocacy and measurable results.

As ACAON begins work with its newly appointed officers, its challenge will be to strengthen public confidence, demonstrate institutional credibility and establish clear programmes through which its anti-corruption objectives can be assessed.