By IBIRONKE ARIYO
ABUJA- The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has agreed to partner with the Committee of Youth on Mobilisation and Sensitisation (CYMS), to curb the menace of vote buying during elections.
This is to orientate Nigerian youths against vote buying, cyber crimes and other systemic corruption degrading the integrity of the nation.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, contacts and mobilisation, Mr Kelechi Ugwumba made available to Journalists on Thursday in Abuja.
Ugwumba said that the partnership was agreed on when the CYMS delegation led by its Director-General, Mr Obinna Nwaka, paid a courtesy visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
He said that the meeting was part of efforts to sanitise the society and rid it from crimes and other related vices.
Speaking, the Executive Chairman, EFCC, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, commended the organisation for its interest in complementing the agency’s efforts in ridding the country of corruption.
Bawa said the the youths constituted a higher proportion of the country’s population and were major determinants of the development of any country and as such should be patriotic citizens.
He emphasised the need for sensitisation of youths in the country, saying, ”out of the 2,210 cyber crimes related cases the agency had prosecuted as at Aug. 5 , 70% of those convicted were youths.”
He reiterated that sensitising young people would go a long way in focusing their attention to the right direction, as well as redeem the image of the country among comity of nations.
The EFCC boss urged the CYMS to engage volunteers and deploy them to all polling units across the country to monitor and report suspected cases to the commission.
Bawa also granted the request of CYMS in appointing a Senior Officer from the commission to serve as a liaison officer to the organisation.
Speaking earlier, Nwaka commended Bawa for his achievements in the fight against corruption.
Nwaka recalled how CYMS strove to ensure that Abdulrasheed Bawa’s nomination as the substantive chairman of the EFCC was confirmed by the National Assembly.
He said the CYMS was committed to working with the EFCC in ensuring that the commission achieves its mandate.
The DG also said the commission of CYMS proposed lined up activities and its efforts towards the launching of Youth Against Corruption (YAC) programme.
This, he said, was aimed at reawakening the consciousness of the public especially the youths to shun corrupt practices and support the fight against corruption.
“Other programmes include stakeholders conference to sensitise people at various states on the policy thrust and mandate of the commission.
“Monitoring of vote buying to ensure credible people emerge from the polls and to curtail the mobilisation of money to the polling Units for financial inducement during voting among others.
“This is also a motive to identify persons who have passed Integrity test using Mrs Dorcas Arekhamhe, a Deputy Director, SERVICOM at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources who won the Best Nodal Officer in the MDAs.
“Also, Mrs Eunice Onuegbusi from Anambra, who rejected 5,000 vote buying during Governorship election, would be used as shining example, ” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC, presented a complimentary plaque to CYMS in appreciation of it’s unflinching support to the commission. (NAN)
