Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede has charged members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), across the country to be more focused on whistle-blowing and intelligence gathering to be active change agents in the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.
Olukoyede gave this charge on Thursday, December 7, 2023, at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Agwu Local Government Area of Enugu State while addressing corps members on the “Roles of Youths in Fighting Corruption to Promote Economic Growth”.
In a statement by the Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, Dele Oyewale, the Chairman, who spoke through the Chief Superintendent of the EFCC, CSE Kehinde Salau of the Enugu Zonal Command, tasked the corps members to come up with creative ideas and perspectives that can grow the economy.
“A new insight into the disservice which corruption represents should make youths like you willingly decide to be change agents, foot soldiers against corruption, community advocates and strong resisting forces against corruption and whistle-blowers or intelligence gatherers.
“Every challenge around us today can be traced to the consequences of corruption. The rising troubles of unemployment, insecurity, poverty, disease, low life expectancy, hunger, robbery, and kidnapping are the results of mismanagement, misapplication and misplacement of our resources by those entrusted with them in the past.”
He further stressed that economic and financial crimes directly put the fortunes of the economy and polity of the country in jeopardy. “Criminality of such a dimension puts foreign direct investment in uncertainty, slows down genuine efforts to build formidable structures in industries and greatly throws open the nation to avoidable complications”, he said.
He further explained that, if youths can perform their roles in the fight against corruption, “leakages caused by corruption will be removed, investors’ confidence in the economy will be enhanced, disruptions in the productive processes will be broken, competition for industrial engagements will greatly increase and creative energies of youths will be maximized”.
At the NYSC Orientation Camp in Keffi, Nasarawa State, Olukoyede, speaking through the Head of Media and Publicity Unit, Abuja Zonal Command, CSE Ngoundu Nguetar, says that Nigeria has faced a lot of setbacks in foreign direct investments, economic growth and bad national image as a result of corruption. At Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, Olukoyede, spoke through Deputy Superintendent of the EFCC, DSE Titilola Tokan-Lawal, and decried “ the unbridled love of material wealth”, by the youth, adding that cybercrimes had constituted a mortal threat to the nation’s development. “Our youths are getting embroiled in activities and tendencies that portend grave dangers for their future”, he said.
Similarly, the Chairman, represented by ACE II Churchill Torru, at the NYSC Temporary Orientation Camp in Jos, Plateau State, reiterated the need for youths to be hardworking as, according to him, ‘there is no shortcut to wealth’ He encouraged them to say something when they see something and the EFCC will do something. He sent similar messages to corps members in Kubwa, Abuja, Ilorin, Kano, and other locations across the country.
Olukoyede appreciated the collaboration between the Commission and the NYSC, stressing that such synergy was important to tackle the monster of economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.
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