The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, has called upon the youths across the country to close ranks and confront the monster of corruption, noting that while the menace affects all age groups, it bites harder against the prospects and possibilities of youths.

Speaking at a town hall meeting organised by the EFCC in commemoration of the 2024 World Anti-Corruption Day, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, Olukoyede stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to tackle the menace head-on, “Particularly among the youths that any other age group in our society”, noting that the scourge of graft limits and vitiates the opportunities of youths for self-actualisation”.

In his message entitled “Uniting the Youths against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity”, delivered by the Ilorin Zonal Director of the EFCC, Harry Erin, Olukoyede opined that “corruption makes our youths vulnerable to fraudulent practices”.

He said: “One of the dreadful effects of internet fraud is its bandwagon effects on youths. The allure of easy money is drawing young people into the vortex of criminality.

“This explains why our institutions of higher learning are struggling to make students stay away from internet fraud. Any young person who is tainted with cybercrime faces a grim future. There is no sustainable success in internet fraud.”

According to him: “Every young person needs an equal opportunity for self-expression. However, this is impossible in societies where favouritism, nepotism, partisan and other extraneous considerations tilt opportunities in favour of some few privileged people. This is not good for the youths and it is for this reason that they need to forge a united front against corruption.”

The EFCC boss believed that the future of this country belonged to the youths, and he, therefore, enjoined them to always say no to the alluring temptations of crime and align themselves with honesty and the Commission’s fight against corruption.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, John Olusola Bayeshea, who is the Guest Speaker at the occasion lamented the endemic level of corruption in the society, saying that “no nation can ever achieve sustainable socio-economic growth with the level of corruption prevalent in this country”.

The learned silk, however, believed that to effectively curb the problem of corruption in this country, a holistic approach must be adopted and the sociological framework within which it thrives must be addressed.

According to him: “Nigeria is a country blessed with human and mineral resources, but unfortunately, these resources have been cornered by a few individuals.” He said the wealth of this nation is only in the hands of about 2,000 people, which, according to him, was the reason the youths were leaving the country in the name of “Jappa” to seek greener pastures abroad.

The Guest Speaker, who also spoke from the perspective of God, said: “People who are corrupt or who engage in corrupt practices have already been cursed by God unless they repent.

“People in power and the youths should, therefore, imbibe the virtues of hard work and never see corruption as a lucrative, beneficial or rewarding venture in order not to incur the wrath of God.

“Do not take part in the evil delicacies. Stay away from cybercrime and other forms of criminalities that may deliver quick wealth, but with perilous end.”

Also speaking, the Kwara State Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. Ndanusa Usman, noted that the fight against corruption can only be won when all stakeholders, particularly the youths, embrace this important fight. He encouraged the youths to serve as role models by shunning crimes and all acts of corruption.

In his remarks, the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Comrade Issah Abdulghafar, admonished the youths to always remember that they are the leaders of tomorrow and avoid being used to damage the image of the country.

Quoting Shakespeare and Martin Luther King, he said: “If one is not informed, one will be deformed,” while commending the efforts of the EFCC and its initiative aimed at informing and educating the youths, particularly students, by sensitising them on the need to fight this devastating and endemic scourge that has left the country prostrate and underdeveloped.

Other speakers at the event spoke on the need for moral reorientation and support for the efforts of the government through the EFCC to fight corruption.

The programme featured stakeholders across critical sectors including youth organisations, selected heads of government agencies and development partners.

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