Nigeria will commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) on December 9, 2024, under the theme “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity.”
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The attention of the global community is drawn to the scourge of corruption, which continues to pose a significant obstacle to peace, security, and sustainable development. Nigeria is not an exception, with youths accounting for about 262 million of the population, according to the United Nations July 2022 World Population Proposals.
Corruption erodes the fabric of society, stifles progress, and deprives them of educational opportunities, job prospects, engagement in public life, success in sports, and access to healthcare and other essential services. Additionally, it contributes to environmental degradation and climate destruction.
Commenting on this, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has said Corruption affects every age group but bites harder against the prospects and possibilities of youths. Olukoyede, who was speaking during a Town Hall meeting to mark the 2024 International Anti-Corruption Day organized by the Kaduna Command of the Commission, opined that it is more binding on young people to tackle corruption more fiercely than any other age group.
According to him, the scourge of graft limits and vitiates the opportunities of youths for self-actualization. The EFCC boss, who was represented by Zonal Commandant Dr. Benedict Ubi, said every young person needs an equal opportunity for self-expression. He, however, stressed that this is impossible in societies where favoritism, nepotism, partisan and other extraneous factors reign supreme.
Speaking on the Theme of 2024 International Anti-Corruption Day: Uniting the Youths Against Corruption: Olukoyede said Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity resonates deeply with the compelling need for young people to close ranks and confront the monster of corruption.
“Let me congratulate youths across the country on the theme of the 2024 International Anti-Corruption Day. “The theme: Uniting the Youths against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity, resonates deeply with the compelling need for young people to close ranks and confront the monster of corruption,” he said.
The EFCC boss disclosed that corruption makes youths vulnerable to fraudulent practices, saying one of the dreadful effects of internet fraud is its bandwagon effects on youths. “The allure of easy money is drawing young people into the vortex of criminality. This explains why our institutions of higher learning are struggling to make students stay away from internet fraud. “Any young person that is tainted with cybercrime faces a grim future. There is no sustainable success in internet fraud. “Thirdly, youths need collaborative efforts for progressive innovations. They cannot achieve this in a corrupt environment. The attendant strength that comes from a positive outlook and reform-minded pursuits is too important for youths to compromise on the altar of corruption. “Fourthly, youths need a united voice to challenge unsavory practices at every level of government. They need to come together to be watchdogs and active forces against any form of corruption. No other age group will do this for them. “At this juncture, let me point out the route that can be taken by youths to achieve unity in the fight against corruption. One of those routes is deliberate synergy against graft. “They can do this by forming associations, clubs, think tanks, and societies that promote good values. It is high time youths joined hands together to pursue values that will add strength to their lives. “Another means of uniting against corruption is to lend forces and voices in support of activities of anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. “Progress-inclined youths should be more vibrant in identifying with the activities of the Commission. There are structures in place for active engagement with youths at the EFCC. “At the Primary and Secondary School level, we have the Integrity Club serving as a rallying point for students. At the Tertiary Institution level, we have the Zero Tolerance Club. They are all platforms for engagement against corrupt practices. “Youths can also unite against corruption by exposing tendencies and actions that run counter to accountability and right values in their neighborhood. “This is simply a whistle-blowing opportunity for youths. There is no way corruption can be tackled if we allow it around us without a challenge. Youths have formidable roles to play in this regard. “More important in this crusade against corruption is the overarching necessity of individual and corporate accountability. “This entails deciding against corruption. No matter the structure any youth may want to form against corrupt practices, without a self-driven resolve to reject such practices, no other framework can work. This means that personal choices and decisions against corruption count better than any other force. “The EFCC boss added that every unifying action against corruption promises better prospects for all the youths.
“I urge them to embrace this alternative and make it a new rule of engagement against corruption. The youths hold the rod of the future in any nation. They should use their brains and brains to fashion out the future they desire for themselves. “The EFCC is always willing to lend a hand in this regard. We have initiated so many measures to educate and engage young people and even built a Cyber Crime Research Centre to build capacities against internet fraud. “Let our youths see a better future ahead of them by choosing the pathway of integrity. As we always say, taking shortcuts always cuts people short. Reject the shortcut of corruption and your future will be established,” he concluded.
Checks by Weekend Peoples Daily revealed that corruption erodes the fabric of society, stifles progress, and deprives youths of educational opportunities, job prospects, engagement in public life, success in sports, and access to healthcare and other essential services. Additionally, it contributes to environmental degradation and climate destruction.
Young people have a clear vision and innovative ideas for a future free from corruption. We must give them a seat at the table, listen to their voices, and involve them in the process. By empowering youth to actively engage and help lead future anti-corruption efforts, we can create lasting change.
Therefore, the campaign for International Anti-Corruption Day 2024-2025 focuses on the role young guardians of integrity play as advocates, raising awareness about corruption and its impacts on their communities. They will actively participate in discussions, share their experiences, and propose innovative solutions to combat corruption.
The campaign will amplify the voices of integrity leaders of tomorrow, allowing them to express their concerns and aspirations with the hope that their appeals will be heard and acted upon. While young people are significantly affected by corruption, they also have the potential to become powerful agents of change in the fight for a future rooted in integrity.
Young people must demand accountability and actively participate in anti-corruption efforts. To effectively promote a culture of integrity across the public and private sectors and build a generation that stands up to corruption, education is key. It teaches values of transparency, accountability, and integrity from an early age.
By promoting integrity and ethical behavior within their social circles and challenging small-scale corruption at the community level, young people can drive meaningful change. Additionally, they can develop innovative solutions to address corruption on a global scale.
Tech-savvy youth can leverage technologies such as blockchain, AI, online platforms, social media, and innovative apps to enhance transparency, increase access to information, and create tools that facilitate anonymous reporting of corrupt practices.
We must actively listen to young people, as their ideas today may hold the key to the best solutions for combating corruption and strengthening integrity tomorrow. Young integrity leaders play a vital role in advocating for dismantling institutional structures that enable corruption and pushing for greater transparency and accountability.
Through active participation and reforms, they help create corruption-resilient institutions that reject unethical behavior. Addressing corruption leads to a fairer, more transparent society where young individuals have equal opportunities to achieve their dreams. This effort builds trust in institutions and inspires the next generation to actively contribute to creating a better future.
Young people have a clear vision and innovative ideas for a future free from corruption. We must give them a seat at the table, listen to their voices, and involve them in the process. By empowering youth to actively engage and help lead future anti-corruption efforts, we can create lasting change.
Building a just country and a sustainable nation is only possible if corruption doesn’t stand in the way.