The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede has charged youths to shun internet fraud as there is no sustainable future in it.
Olukoyede made the call in Abuja on Wednesday, December 5, while addressing stakeholders at a Town Hall Meeting in preparatory commemoration of the 2024 International Anti-Corruption Day at the corporate headquarters of the commission.
The 2024 International Anti-Corruption Day will be held on December 9 and is themed, “Uniting the Youths Against Corruption”.
In a keynote address, Olukoyede urged youths across the country to unite and take the lead in the fight against corruption.
He said, “Corruption limits the opportunities for self-actualisation and tilts the playing field in favour of a privileged few.
“A corrupt society cannot provide the equal opportunities that every young person needs to thrive,” he said.
Olukoyede further lamented the increasing allure of internet fraud among youths, describing it as a threat to their future.
“The allure of easy money through cybercrime draws many young people into criminality.
“However, there is no sustainable success in internet fraud; it only leads to a grim future. Youths must reject such practices and embrace integrity,” he said.
The EFCC chairman proposed actionable strategies for youths to form a united front against corruption.
He urged them to build synergy through associations, societies, and platforms such as clubs and think tanks that promote accountability and good values.
“Let me point out the route that can be taken by youths to achieve unity in the fight against corruption. One of those routes is deliberate synergy against graft.
“They can do this by forming associations, clubs, think tanks, societies that promote good values. It is high time youths joined hands together to pursue values that will add strength to their lives”, he said.
The EFCC’s boss also stressed that youths can lend forces and voices in support of activities of anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC .
“Progress-inclined youths should be more vibrant in identifying with the activities of the Commission. There are structures in place for active engagement with youths at the EFCC.
“At the Primary and Secondary School level, we have the Integrity Club serving as a rallying point for students.
“At the Tertiary Institution level, we have the Zero Tolerance Club. They are all platforms for engagement against corrupt practices.”
He advanced support for whistleblowing as another potent means of tackling graft by young people, stressing that “there is no way corruption can be tackled if we allow it around us without a challenge.
“Youths have formidable roles to play in this regard. There is a need for stronger energy against the corrupt in our midst. No effort is too little and no sacrifice is too tasking in this regard”.
He further called for individual and corporate accountability by youths, pointing out that, “no matter the structure any youth may want to form against corrupt practices, without a self-driven resolve to reject such practices, no other framework can work. This means that personal choices and decisions against corruption count better than any other force”.
The EFCC Chairman urged young Nigerians to view integrity as a non-negotiable principle by rejecting the “shortcut” mentality, stating, “taking shortcuts always cuts people short”.