Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulkarim Chukkol has called on members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) and other youths across the country to steer clear of internet- related crimes but rather use the internet to solve societal problems.
He noted that high unemployment rate in the country is not an excuse for anyone to indulge in crime.
According to an EFCC statement, Chukkol stated this on Thursday at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Okada, Edo State while addressing corps members on, “The Role of Youths in Curbing Corruption”.
The EFCC chairman who spoke through Williams Oseghale, Head, Public Affairs Department, Benin Zonal Command, urged the corps members to shun internet fraud and other forms of criminality as the consequences are grave.
“The scourge of internet fraud has become pervasive. Youths are getting embroiled in all sorts of cybercrime to the detriment of their future and the image of our nation,” he said.
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He charged the youths to be role models in integrity and accountability and embrace hardwork as there was no short cut to wealth and fame.
“The fact that the rate of unemployment is high should not be an excuse to resort to crime. Yahoo yahoo is not a sustainable way of life,” he said.
At the Permanent Orientation Camp, Iseyin, Oyo State, Chukkol, who spoke through the Head of Public Affairs Department, Ibadan Zonal Command, Egbodofo Olumide, expressed optimisim that youths would always be useful in bringing growth and development to the nation.
“We are convinced that all hope is not lost in the effort to bring this country back from the brink. As dynamic young men and women, our desire is to harness your intelligence and energy for greater public good in your areas of primary assignments,” he said.
At the NYSC camp, Boro Town, Kiama, Bayelsa State, Chukkol charged corps members to refrain from taking short cuts in seeking wealth.
Represented by Inspector of the EFCC, Sunday Ogar, he admonished them to “shun all short cuts leading to wealth and fame”.
Explaining further, he stressed that “every challenge around us today can be traced to the consequences of corruption. The rising troubles of unemployment, insecurity, poverty disease, kidnapping and others are the results of mismanagement, misappropriation, misplacement of our resources”.
At the NYSC Orientation Camp in Nonwa-Gbam, Rivers State, Chukkol, who was represented by Assistant Superintendent of EFCC, ASE Emmanuel Onuminya, charged corps members to be resourceful, enterprising and innovative to beat the cchallenge of unemployment.
“At a time like this, some youths are already coming up with ideas of converting petrol cars to electric cars, petrol generators to gas to generate electricity. All these are the ideas of the youths,” he said.
The EFCC statement said that similar messages were disseminated to corps members in Keffi, Nasarawa State, through Chief Superintendent of the EFCC, CSE Nguetar Ngoundu; in Ilorin, Kwara State, through Gbenga Adewoye; Kaduna, through CSE Nana Fatima Abubakar and other Orientation camps in Lagos, Sokoto, Uyo and other parts of the country.