The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede yesterday charged members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to be change agents and strong resisting force against corruption.
He also enjoined them to be active foot soldiers and whistle-blowers or intelligence-gatherers against corruption. . Olukoyede, who spoke at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Yikpata, Edu local government area of Kwara State,said it is important for youths to realise that, if performed creditably, these roles will bring appreciable growth to the nation’s economy.
He said that, “creative energies of youths will be maximised when corruption is brought to its knees.”
Represented by the head of the Public Affairs Department, Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, Ayodele Babatunde, the EFCC boss said that most of the problems confronting the country, such as kidnapping, banditry, poor infrastructure, among others, were connected to corruption.
He added that all hands must be on the deck to tame the cankerworm, while encouraging the youths to embrace the virtues of hard work and shun fraudulent practices such as cybercrime.
“It’s profitable to earn dignity and fame through hard work and legit business,” Olukoyede counselled the youth corps members.
While calling on the youths to channel their potentials productively and shun crime, the EFCC chair said that, “Yahoo-Yahoo is not a sustainable way of life.”
“There is no shortcut to wealth and fame. The fact that the rate of unemployment is high should not be an excuse to resort to crime. Act of criminality might deliver wealth in the short term but there will be misery and gnashing of teeth”, he said.
