Starrys Obaqzei
To curb vote buying in the next general elections, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has agreed to partner with the Committee of Youth on Mobilization and Sensitization (CYMS), to curb the menace.
The partnership will sensitize Nigerians, especially the youth against vote buying, cyber-crimes and other systemic corruption degrading the integrity of the nation.
The Director, Contacts and Mobilization, (CYMS), Mr. Kelechi Ugwumba, in a statement, made this 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 sanitize society and rid it of crimes and other related vices.
Speaking, the Executive Chairman, EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, commended the organization for its interest in complementing the agency’s efforts in ridding the country of corruption.
Bawa said the youth 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 emphasized the need for sensitization 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 sensitizing 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 the 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 organization.
Speaking earlier, Nwaka commended Bawa for his achievements in the fight against corruption.
Nwaka explained 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 efforts towards the launching of the 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 conferences to sensitize 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 mobilization of money to the polling Units for financial inducement during voting among others.
“This is also a motive to identify persons who have passed the 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 a shining example,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC presented a complimentary plaque to CYMS in appreciation of its unflinching support to the commission.