The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has urged members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to be change agents by being a strong force against corruption.

He also enjoined them to be active foot soldiers, whistle-blowers and intelligence gatherers towards enhancing the fight against corruption.

Speaking on Thursday at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Yikpata in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, Olukoyede stressed the need for the youths to creditably perform these roles, adding that doing so would enhance growth in the economy of the country. He added,“the creative energies of youths will be maximised when corruption is brought to its knees”.

The EFCC boss, whose address was delivered by the Head of the Public Affairs Department, Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, Ayodele Babatunde, said that most of the problems confronting the country such as kidnapping, banditry, and poor infrastructure, among others, were connected to corruption, adding that all hands must be on the deck to tame the cankerworm.

Olukoyede encouraged the youths to embrace the virtues of hard work and shun fraudulent practices such as cybercrime, noting that, “it’s profitable to earn dignity and fame through hard work and legitimate business”.

While urging the youths to channel their potential productively and shun crimes and criminality, the EFCC Chair said: “Yahoo-Yahoo is not a sustainable way of life.

“There is no shortcut to wealth and fame. The fact that the rate of unemployment is high should not be an excuse to resort to crime. Act of criminality might deliver wealth in the short term but there will be misery and gnashing of teeth in the end.”