By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Mr. Ola Olukoyede, Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) has charged youths across the country to stay away from internet crimes and thread the paths of integrity, transparency, and accountability for the sake of their future and progress of the nation.
He gave the charge recently while delivering a Goodwill Message at the Grand Finale of the Reality House’s “Head-to-Head” debate at Universal Basic Education Commission, (UBEC) Training Facility, Abuja.
Olukoyede who spoke through Aisha Mohammed, Head, Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of EFCC, ACE11 told the youths that; “Corruption is not just someone else’s problem, it is yours, mine, and ours. It is all about unfair advantages, the bribes the lies and the cheating. It is also the silent bystander, the ignored warning sign, and the compromised value. You have a choice: to accept the statusquo or challenge it; to be part of the problem or part of the solution. You are the future, and the future is now. Let’s create a Nigerian society of integrity, transparency, and accountability that we can be proud of.” He noted that the debate’s goal of instilling good morals in school children aligned with the EFCC’s policy of “Catching Them Young,” which is geared towards raising an ethical youth population. He urged the students to recognize their special place as future leaders and stand against corruption and financial crimes, both as a personal and collective resolve.
While inducting the students as anti-corruption foot-soldiers of the EFCC, he charged them to always embody and exhibit the values of probity and hard work, promoted by the EFCC and to speak out against corruption and incidences of financial crimes. In her remarks, Mariya Mahmud, Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, FCT who was represented by Grace Adayilo noted that the debate was a strong tool for developing critical thinking and deep understanding of complex issues involved in corruption. She commended the students for their ability to engage in insightful comparison of thoughts with their peers. On his part, Alhassan Sule, Acting Chairman of the FCT Universal Basic Education Board emphasized the importance of education in the society and lauded the students for their superlative performances.
The Grand Finale of the debate featured Junior Secondary School, JSS Kubwa against JSS Dutse Alhaji 11 on the topic “Poverty: A Threat to School Population,” in which the latter carried the day.Awards were presented to the students who made outstanding performances, while all those who made meaningful contributions on EFCC’s lecture on cybercrime were presented with souvenirs and decorated as the Commission’s Ambassadors.