The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has emphasized the importance of youth unity in the fight against corruption, stating that while the issue affects all age groups, it has a particularly damaging impact on the prospects and opportunities of young people.
Speaking at a town hall meeting organized by the EFCC in Ilorin, Kwara State, in observance of the 2024 World Anti-Corruption Day, Olukoyede called for a collective effort to tackle the problem, particularly among the youth.
He stressed that corruption not only hinders the personal growth of young people but also limits their chances for self-actualization. “Corruption makes our youths vulnerable to fraudulent practices,” Olukoyede said in a message titled “Uniting the Youths against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity,” which was delivered by the Ilorin Zonal Director of the EFCC, Harry Erin.
Olukoyede warned about the dangerous allure of internet fraud, which he believes is drawing many young people into criminal activities. He noted that the easy money promised by cybercrime has had a bandwagon effect, with many youths becoming involved, even as institutions of higher learning struggle to prevent students from engaging in internet fraud. He cautioned that any young person involved in cybercrime faces a bleak future, emphasizing that there is no sustainable success in fraud.
The EFCC Chairman also pointed out that corruption exacerbates inequality, preventing equal opportunities for all. “In societies where nepotism, favoritism, and partisanship dominate, opportunities are skewed in favor of a few privileged individuals, leaving the majority, especially the youth, disadvantaged,” he said. He urged young people to unite against corruption to create a fairer and more just society.
Believing that the future of Nigeria lies in the hands of its youth, Olukoyede encouraged them to reject the temptations of crime and align themselves with the EFCC’s fight for integrity and transparency.
Guest Speaker at the event, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), John Olusola Bayeshea, lamented the pervasive level of corruption in Nigeria, stating that no nation can achieve sustainable socio-economic growth with the level of graft prevalent in the country. He called for a holistic approach to addressing the problem, emphasizing that the sociological framework within which corruption thrives must be tackled.
Bayeshea also criticized the concentration of the nation’s wealth in the hands of a small elite, saying that only about 2,000 people control Nigeria’s vast resources. He attributed this disparity to the increasing number of youths leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad, a trend popularly known as “Japa.”
