By Yemi Akinsuyi
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has charged students across the country to imbibe the virtues of transparency, accountability and integrity and to shun all forms of corruption, economic and financial crimes.
He gave the charge on Monday, while addressing the students of Epitome Model Islamic School in an event tagged: “12th Teenagers Workshop,” organized by Alhabibiyah Islamic Society for teenagers with focus on positioning the youth on the path of anti-corruption lifestyle.
Olukoyede who was represented by the Head, Enlightenment and Reorientation of the Commission, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE2 Aisha Mohammed stated that transparency revolved around accountability, responsibility, openness and honesty.
“You can say transparency is being open and honest. Accountability is the willingness to account for one’s actions, while integrity is the quality of being driven by high moral principles. Accountability ensures that individuals and institutions take responsibility for their actions, it promotes answerability and explanations for decisions and behaviours. In the EFCC we say, integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching you,” he said.
While charging the students to keep away from financial vices, Olukoyede explained that the business of EFCC is to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption, economic and financial crimes and to prevent them from even occurring.
“That is why we have come to talk to you right now to ensure that you keep away from corruption,” he said.
Chief Superintendent of EFCC, CSE, Katerine Okeke, urged the students to join hands with the Commission in the anti-corruption fight to make Nigeria a better place for all.
“We have to make Nigeria better, that is the message that we brought to your school this morning, the message of anti-corruption fight, transparency, accountability and integrity, necessary to make you become good citizens of the country,” she said.
On his part, Deputy Superintendent of EFCC, DSE Abbas Abubakar charged the students to embrace integrity as their moral compass in all they do.
“Learn to say something when you see something and do not steal or covet what is not yours. Whoever sees something that is not right should correct it using his hands, if he cannot, he should use his mouth to speak against it, and if he cannot, he should hate that wrong in his heart,” he said.
Hajiya Rafat Salami who spoke on behalf of the management of the school thanked the EFCC for the engagement with the students and the good working relationship the school has with the Commission.
