EFCC Tasks Stakeholders In Education Sector On Anti- Graft Measures

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, has called on stakeholders in the nation's education sector to brace up for effective ways of tackling economic and financial crimes, to save the sector from mortal damage.  

This call was made by the Port Harcourt Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE 11 Ahmed Ghail, on Saturday, May 13, 2023, while featuring in a One Day Town Hall Meeting,   organized by Wadata Media and Advocacy Centre, WAMAC, in collaboration with the Macarthur Foundation in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

 Ghali, speaking on the topic: "Corruption in the Education Sector of Nigeria: The need for Moral Reorientation”, explained that "corruption in the education sector is deliberate perversion of rules, values, regulations and procedures for personal gains". 

He cited  instances of corrupt practices in the sector to include  "paper leakages, cheating, cash for promotion, stealing, embezzlement or diversion of project funds, nepotism and favouritism (leading  to hiring of poorly qualified teachers), contract scam, tuition fees fraud, salary scam, admission fraud, non-teaching staff defrauding the government by sitting at home, bid rigging, among others"

Ghali, who spoke through Chief Superintendent of EFCC, CSE Abdulrasheed Shehu, disclosed that corruption in the education sector has landed many Vice Chancellors of Universities and other Heads of Institutions in jail for stealing, embezzlement of funds and contract scam. He called on Nigerians to join the EFCC in its efforts to tackle fraudulent dealings in the sector. 

 “We cannot fight it alone, we need your collaboration", he said.  He particularly sought more public involvement in whistle blowing, stressing that,”we cannot wait until we have a petition or someone is defrauded before we act. We need support from the public. It is not an only man’s job, it is for all of us and we have been saying from the beginning of this programme that we don’t want corruption to kill us".  

 He harped on the EFCC’s efforts in tackling corruption in the education sector through robust enlightenment campaigns  and sensitization of students in various campuses, including Primary and Secondary Schools and the establishment of Integrity and Zero Tolerance Clubs  meant to raise youths with integrity who will stand up against crimes and criminalities. 

  In a presentation,  Mr. Andrew Ajayi,  Team Lead,  Advocate of Foundation for Character Reformation, stated that,  “if educational sector must function effectively., we all must stand up against corruption ranging from examination mal-practices, sex for marks, exam sorting in both kind and cash, embezzlement of funds meant for school maintenance”.