The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in conjuction with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the National Youth Service Corps, on Friday staged ‘WALK AGAINST CORRUPTION in Nigeria.
The Walk which was held in the 36 States and FCT Abuja, was to create awareness through the sensitization and mobilization of youths across the country to reject the evils of corrupt practices.
In a message to mark the occasion ,the Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission, (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu said the EFCC’s desire was to ensure public ownership if the fight against corruption and make every Nigerian a ready stakeholder in the fight.
In Kaduna, the Acting Chairman’s message was delivered by the State Coordinstor, Mailafiya Yakubu
“I feel greatly delighted to welcome you here and share with you a new perspective on the Prevention Mandate of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission as set out in Section 6(p) of the EFCC Establishment Act.
Public enlightenment and sensitisation about the menace of corruption have become more increasingly imperative as we continue to check the evils of economic and financial crimes in our midst.
“My desire in this regard is to ensure public ownership of the fight against corruption and make every Nigerian a ready stakeholder in the fight.
The awakening and mobilization of the youths the Commission considers very germane in ensuring the success of the fight.
“The new perspective we are exploring is the awakening and mobilisation of youths in our nation to the task of exposing, confronting and tackling the scourge of corruption.
As we all know, youths constitute the bulk of our population and they are the realities and strength of our future. The Nigerian youths are crucial to the success of the anti-corruption crusade and commitments of President
Muhammadu Buhari ‘s government.
In this regard, the EFCC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the National Youth Service Corps, is holding the first-ever NIGERIAN YOUTHS WALK AGAINST CORRUPTION concurrently in all the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
“The objectives of the Walk are
multifarious. The most significant of them are to sensitise, mobilise youths across the country to reject the evils of corrupt practises; encourage youths to be anti-corruption advocates and ambassadors; enlist youths to partner with the EFCC by providing information and actionable intelligence on fraudsters, organise youths as change agents and pace-setters in integrity and sgalvanise the energy and resourcefulness of youths to prevent corruption in all sectors of our polity.
The National Youth Service Corps, more than ever before, is ready to develop new modalities of youth engagements in the anti-corruption fight.
“Corps members in all states of the Federation will come out in large number tomorrow to lead the Walk. Other interest groups, like women; civil society organisations, labour unions and others will join in the Walk and we are excited about the prospects of the project.
“I want to use this forum to appeal to every Nigerian to come out in large number tomorrow and identify with the anti-corruption Walk.
“Our peculiarities and experience as a nation make every war against corruption to be imperative and all-involving.
“We will continue to draw local and global attention to the fact that corruption is not our culture and does not grow on our soil. “It is an accidental malaise and must not be allowed to remain in our midst. The EFCC will not relent in its works against it and every Nigerian must awake to the need for us to combat the evil together.
“Lastly, I deeply appreciate the cooperation, support and genuine drives and involvement of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development and the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who are in our midst.
“It is gladdening that they are showing the way forward to our youths because there can be no future for anyone if corruption is not destroyed.
We appreciate the presence of all sister agencies, NYSC, Journalists for their support