Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede has called on Nigerians to improve on their attitudes and value systems in order to confront and conquer economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale in a statement said the EFCC chairman made the call in Abuja on Tuesday, while receiving officials of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), who paid him a courtesy visit.
Olukoyede decried the worsening moral standards in the country, pointing out that moral decadence was at the root of every corrupt practice.
“We must imbibe the culture and orientation that emphasize that you don’t have any business taking what does not belong to you. Taking what does not belong to you is exactly what corruption is all about. If we have this moral reorientation, it will go a long way in helping us to shun corrupt practices,” the EFCC boss noted.
Olukoyede also challenged NICO to do more in the area of cultural orientation for its impact to be felt in the society.
“You have to make a difference in your own time. Let’s feel the impact of reorienting people. Do your bit. Join us and let’s see how we can collaborate. We must all come to a table and agree as a people that corruption is wrong.
“I also want to let you know that there is much more that we are expecting from your Institute. We need to feel your impact more. If you take the issue of moral decadence from our society, you would have solved seventy percent of the corruption problem”, he said.
Earlier in his address, NICO’s Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Otunba Abiodun Ajiboye stated that his visit was to seek EFCC’s support and cooperation in the pursuit of his Institute’s mandate as “Nigeria’s foremost cultural training institute”.
He expressed confidence that the EFCC can leverage on the Nigerian cultural element to tackle corruption and financial crimes.
