The federal government has re-launched the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) to serve as a spine for its anti-
corruption fight.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had disclosed that WAI would be rebranded to Change Begins with Me (CBWM) to instill public morality, social order and civic responsibilities in Nigerians.
The brigade was unveiled yesterday in Abuja by the Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari, at a meeting with national and state Commanders of Community Support Brigade (CSB).
Abari said WAI would be repositioned in the current dispensation of the change mantra.
He said the body would aid civil intelligence gathering in the area of insecurity, violence, kidnapping, and other forms of social vices.
“The ills and woes that bedeviled the nation at that time are still very much with us today. That is why, when the NOA was established in 1983, the WAI Brigade was automatically drafted to be part and parcel of the agency to fight against indiscipline, disorderly behaviour in public and private places, disobedience to traffic rules and regulations, disrespect for constituted authorities, filthy environment, bribery, corruption and other social vices,” Abari declared.
According to him, the Buhari administration decided to re-introduce the programme for better performance in the fight against indiscipline and corruption.
Buhari first introduced the programme while he was the military Head of State from 1984 to 1985, as a panacea for corruption and to make Nigerians imbibe new social ethos.
WAI then had gained so much popularity as Nigerians disciplined themselves to do the right thing.
The culture even continued for a while after he was ousted in 1985.
It was, however, criticised for human rights abuses regarding freedom, justice and equality, as the military brought its powers to bear in enforcing discipline on Nigerians.