EFCC Parleys School,  CSOs In Fight Against Corruption In Enugu

In its bid to strengthen and deepen its public awareness against economic and financial crimes,  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC,  has  inaugurated an  Integrity Club at Day Secondary School, Independence Layout , Enugu ,Enugu state, even as it engaged Civil Society Organisations,  CSOs in the state for more robust synergy.  

While the inauguration of the Club took place on Wednesday,  June 21,  2023 in the school premises, the interactive meeting with the CSOs took place at the Commissions's Zonal office in Enugu.    Speaking at the launch of the Club,  Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol,   charged secondary school students across the country to shun all forms of corruption by imbibing the core values of  integrity, discipline, honesty and transparency. 

Chukkol, who  made the statement through the Enugu Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC,  ACE I Aliyu Nuhu Naibi, explained that, "we are here to work on the issue of prevention, so that people will not commit the offence before we arrest them.” He disclosed that his Command arrested, prosecuted and charged to court over five hundred youths who were sentenced to different jail terms. 

“These are youths that were supposed to graduate from the universities  and get some jobs but are presently  in various Correctional Centres serving different jail terms and we don’t want that to be happening again, that’s why we are here",  he said. 

Speaking later, Deputy Director, Creative Engagement,  Public Affairs Department,  DCE Nwanyima Okeanu said that Integrity Clubs are being set up as a renewed effort towards catching the young ones early. “ It is a club that wants to raise future leaders in the right way and that's the reason we are here to set up an integrity club and ensure that, young  people grow up not emulating bad things being done by adults", she said.  She enjoined the students to always report every negative act,  assuring that the Commission was well equipped to tackle such nefarious acts.  

Earlier in her welcome address, the principal of the school, Mrs Ethel Onoh advised  students to shun corruption, be hard working  and be a good ambassador  in order to make their parents proud.  

Highlights of the occasion were the unveiling of the Integrity Club Sign Post and  swearing in of executive members of the club.

Appraising the public awareness drive of the Commission,   Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus,   Professor  Daniel Nwachukwu noted that EFCC’s recent moves in  launching  Zero Tolerance Clubs in several Universities was a welcome development.

“The launch of the club is one of the best initiatives to come out the Commission, a step in the right direction and I am happy you have taken it down to the secondary school as well",  he said.  

 Addressing representatives of the CSOs on Thursday,  June 22,  2023, Naibi, speaking for the EFCC's Chair,   called for a closer and sustainable collaboration between the Commission and members of CSOs in the South East Zone. 

” The issue of prevention is extremely important and we can only achieve this through you to reach out to the community and other areas and one of the most important aspect of this collaboration is ownership of the fight",  he said. 

Naibi, while noting that the Commission places much importance on preventive measures,  stressed the need for CSOs to appreciate the enormous efforts of the Commission in dealing with average Nigerians daily without placing any financial demands on them. He urged them not to  put monetary and political gains as a priority in their works in order  to achieve greater impact. 

  “EFCC is providing a platform through you as partners in spreading the anti-corruption message, seeing you are closer to the people at the grassroots but you need to be apolitical as well as operate in unity among yourselves without thinking about money first”, he said. 

 Assistant Commander of the EFCC and Head Creative Communications Unit, ACEI Chris Oluka,  urged the CSOs to be more united in order to win the war against corruption  by actively engaging the youths.

Responding,   Country Director,  Baywood Foundation, Barrister Ojielo Chukwudi  thanked the EFCC for organising the event and called for mutual respect and accountability between the Commission and its stakeholders.