Nigerian youths best vanguard to tackle corruption ― NYSC DG 

THE Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim has said the best option to tackle corruption from the root is to use younger Nigerians who are the future leaders of our country.

He said this led to the need to include corps members in the crusade against corruption since they are future leaders of the country.

He made the assertion on Friday, during an interview, after 1,000 youth corps members staged a road walk against corruption, from the office of the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) situated at Haji camp in Kano.

He said corruption is a cankerworm that must be fought with a concerted effort by all Nigerians.

He, however, disclosed that the walk took place across all the 36 States including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where 1,000 corps members were expected to participate in each state.

According to him, the road walk was to sensitise the public on the dangers of corruption in the society and its implications, calling on Nigerians to work hard to earn legitimate living devoid of corruption.

The NYSC boss, who led the roadshow in Kano, said the event was targeted at the youth because they were the leaders of tomorrow. He advised the corps members not to be in a hurry to be rich overnight.

His words, “once you work hard, the sky will always be your limit, hence the need to shun any act of corruption tendencies which is capable of denting the image of the country.”

The NYSC DG added that the Chairman of EFCC, deemed it fit to incorporate our corps members to further sensitise Nigerians on the scourge of corruption in the country.

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According to him, the NYSC had been in partnership with the EFCC for a very long time, adding that “we have a CDS EFCC group which always on weekly bases embark on the sensitisation of Nigerians on corruption.”

While speaking on the occasion, Head of Kano Zonal Office of the EFCC, Mr Akinyene Ezima, who read a speech on behalf of the acting chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, said corruption is an accidental malaise and must not be allowed to remain in our midst.

He then stated that the objectives of the walk include the sensitisation and mobilisation of youths across the country to reject the evils of corrupt practices.

His words: “It is also to encourage the youth to be anti-corruption advocates and ambassadors, as well as enlisting them to partner with the EFCC by providing information and actionable intelligence on fraudsters in their localities.

“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.

“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, and we know, youths constitute the bulk of our population and 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.

He added that the EFCC would not relent in its work against it and every Nigeria must wake up to the need for us to combat the evil together.

The state coordinator, NYSC, Alhaji Ladan Baba, said the organisation was happy with the programme noting that the fight against corruption must be fought with collective responsibilities.

Alhaji Baba stated that corruption was not only on bribery or stealing money but also includes all vices that are impediments to the socio-economic and political development.

He then noted that with the inclusion of corps members in this fight, it would make them contribute their quota towards addressing the menace.