By Correspondent in Ilorin.
The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, on Thursday, called on students of the University of Ilorin to shun cybercrime and be foot soldiers in the fight against corruption.
He also admonished the students to be disciplined and strive for academic excellence.
Bawa’s admonition was contained in a keynote address entitled, “The EFCC And The Role of The Youths In Curbing Cybercrime” , delivered on his behalf by the Head, Public Affairs Department, Ilorin Zonal Command of the EFCC, Ayodele Babatunde, at the 2020/2021 Orientation Programme for fresh students of the University of Ilorin.
According to him, the woes bedeviling Nigeria,today,could be tied to corruption.
“In discussions among scholars and ordinary people, there is overwhelming convergence of opinion that corruption is at the intersection of the nation’s development.
“This is the reason our country is still touted as a potentially great nation, despite its rich natural and human resources endowment”, he said.
He decried the youth’s involvement in cybercrime saying, “one critical group of stakeholders are the youths. Apart from the fact that they are considered as the leaders of tomorrow, most economic crimes, especially cybercrimes are committed by young people,”he added.
The EFCC boss, while calling on youths to avoid the temptation of being lured into cybercrime or any other form of corruption, said “young people must not be mere spectators in the anti-graft campaign but foot soldiers leading the mass rout of corruption and economic crimes out of our land”.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, represented by the Dean, Student Affairs, Professor Lanre Ajibade, enjoined the students to be disciplined at all times and be dedicated to their studies reminding them that the University had zero tolerance for anything anti-social.
While promising his support for the EFCC in the fight against corruption, Professor Abdulkareem commended the Commission for its giant strides toward having a country “that is free of corruption”.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.